Jihad
by Kmm1128
Summary: While Link investigates a possible terrorist threat on the brand new Taelon Synod and Da'an's agenda begins to unravel, several characters struggle to find their place in this everchanging world just in time for the winter holidays.
1. Chapter 1

Jihad

Chapter One

It was a particularly hot and stormy day on the desert planet. The violent whistling of the sandstorm pierced through the thick shrouds Tay'jay and his crew were wearing as a warning beacon to finish the operation quickly. Sandstorms were always dangerous on this planet, which was why few sentient beings lived here, but they also provided excellent cover for operations as discreet as this one. Still, the hurry to finish was not lost on Tay'jay. This was just one more in a series of problems that had plagued this particular shipment's transport. The shipment had missed several of its checkpoints and had also been late on several more occasions. _Problems like this always seem to occur with the most precious cargo_, Tay'jay thought to himself. _Murphy's Law at work._ However, Tay'jay had anticipated such problems, and that was why he had personally overseen the transport of this shipment. He had his best people handling it, but that was still not enough to cease their troubles.

This was the last leg in the long journey the medical supplies made from Earth to Jaridia. This particular cargo held essential medical machinery that Dr. Park had "donated" from joint Taelon-human medical facilities from locations all over the United States. Park had put her reputation and her life on the line to get this machinery, and she had neither the components nor the manpower to get some more in case something happened. If anything happened to this shipment, it would take years for the Jaridians and the Espelons to build more from scratch if they could manage it at all.

A woman wearing the same shrouds Tay'jay wore stormed up to him. When she removed her protective eye gear, the eyes told Tay'jay everything he needed to know. It was Nu'na on the warpath yet again.

"Everything's secure, captain," Nu'na said with an ill emphasis on the word "captain."

"Would it kill you to lose the 'tude for one day, Nu'na?" Tay'jay asked. "I really don't need this right now."

"I'm sorry," Nu'na said bitterly. "It's just that every time I so much as glance into a monitor, I get so pissed. When are we gonna finally go on the offensive and do something about these raids?"

"We still don't know who's behind the raids," Tay'jay said. "Luckily, this is the last transport of crucial hardware for a while."

"You know, everybody's saying that your devotion to your sister's clouding your judgment," Nu'na noted.

"And just what are you saying, Nu'na?" Tay'jay asked. "That I should step down?"

"Fuck no!" Nu'na protested. "I just think that it wouldn't kill you to stop using all your best people for these stupid transports. I'm tired of playing smuggler. Smuggler's like when you're eight years old and you need some money to feed your family. I want to get down to the real dirt of this and find out who the hell's bombing all my friends and family."

"I already told you. After this."

Nu'na scoffed. [You are such a human-lover.

"Excuse you?" Tay'jay asked with a leer.

[When are you and Da'an gonna finally realize that these humans are of no use to anyone? Nu'na asked in Taelon. "Those meat sacks do nothing but hold you all back. You two don't even remember who you are anymore, especially you! I never would've thought you'd sell out for a bunch of oily, smelly, hairy talking apes. You used to care only about the Espelons. That's how you kept us alive, but lately, everything stops for man. I swear if I was in command—"

[Well, you're _not_ in command! Tay'jay shot back. [I am in command, and when I give you an order, I expect it to be obeyed without prejudice!

[Why don't you stop making time for humans, and then I'll stop complaining? Nu'na offered. [You know that I'm loyal to Da'an, but she's wasting her talents on these humans. She doesn't belong with them anymore than you do, and you know it too! But you still follow her around and put all our lives at risk just because you're her brother. You don't see me making stupid sacrifices for my family.

[That's because you don't have family, Tay'jay said coldly.

Nu'na folded her arms, turned her back and hunched over. Tay'jay groaned with quiet frustration.

"I didn't mean that, Nu'na," Tay'jay said. "You're a great kid, and the gods know I love you. I admire your skills and your willpower. You're headstrong, and you've got a lot going. But you still need to learn some patience. Contrary to what all the stories say about me, I don't get things done overnight."

Nu'na bobbed her head in sadness. "I just…really want to be someone so badly. I want to command a ship of my own and be a leader, and lately, I feel like all that I ever do is sit around and wait for the action. I'm tired of waiting."

"That's what I love so much about you," Tay'jay said, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "You're just like I was when I was kid. I wanted to be the greatest Pa'dar warrior that ever lived, and I wanted to get it as fast as I could get it. Being one of the youngest Taelons to ever join the sect wasn't enough. I had to be the greatest, but I'm telling you, Nu'na, patience counts for a lot. And for truth to tell, I feel the exact same way you do. I don't give a damn about those humans anymore than you do. There are times when I want so badly to go back to the way it was and do what I do best, but part of being a leader's accepting change when it comes, even when you don't like the change. It's about compromise, and it's something that Da'an and I have both had to learn the hard way."

[It isn't fair, Nu'na grumbled. [Those humans make Da'an weak. She's meant for something so much greater than all of this, but she'll never achieve it if she doesn't shed this insipid affection she has. She's supposed to be our leader, our savior, not theirs.

[You shouldn't be so possessive, Tay'jay advised. [It's unbecoming of you. I doubt even Da'an knows where her destiny lies, but at the end of the day, that's not for us to decide. We make our own choices, so we make our own destinies, and no one can choose for us.

[Whatever, Nu'na shrugged. [Let's just get this over with.

She was pointing to the shipment that had just arrived.

"You know the drill," Tay'jay said, putting on his protective eye gear.

Nu'na nodded and called for her team to secure the shipment. Tay'jay ran outside to alert his crew to its arrival. In a matter of seconds, Ma'ri and four other Espelons exited the ship with a large, square-shaped hovering dolly.

The wind was howling with such ferocity that they had to hide within the ship's perimeter shield. It would be a factor of speed moving the large crates to Tay'jay's battle cruiser.

"You ready to give in and portal the damn thing?" Ma'ri asked Tay'jay through her communicator. The wind was howling so loudly that the only way to communicate outside was electronically. The sandstorm was so fierce that no one could see an inch from their noses.

"Portals get intercepted," Tay'jay said, "and this is one shipment we can't afford to lose."

[You mean this is one shipment the humans can't afford to lose, Ma'ri corrected.

"Don't _you_ start with me, Su'ki," Tay'jay warned. "I've already had this conversation with Nu'na."

"Well, maybe Nu'na has a point," Ma'ri said.

"I told you not to start with me," Tay'jay said. "I already told her like I've told everyone else here that we transport this one shipment. Then, we get down to business."

_Until Ta'lay calls you up for another "favor,"_ Ma'ri grumbled in her mind.

[Tay'jay, can you hear me? Nu'na asked through her communicator.

[Loud and clear. How's the shipment? Tay'jay asked.

[Ta'lay is here with me right now, Nu'na said. [She detected nothing unusual during the trip, and I don't see any foreign bodies that may have attached themselves during the jump. Everything looks fine.

[Did Ta'lay explain why she's late again? Tay'jay teased.

[Tell your master that if his Espelons had not spent so much time all but taking apart the machinery, I would not have fallen behind schedule in the first place, Ta'lay's voice said with a snide undertone.

_This is the price I pay for having a 90 percent female crew._

[This storm is way too strong, Nu'na said. [If we don't anchor the gear, everything will roll.

[We should wait for the storm to settle, Ma'ri suggested.

[These storms take almost 18 hours to settle, Tay'jay said. [We can't afford to wait any longer. Get me all the telekinetics we can spare.

[Tay'jay, be advised, Ta'lay has gone on ahead to the ship while we prepare the cargo for transport, Nu'na said.

[Nu'na, wait, Tay'jay said. [The wind is too strong, and visibility is next to nothing.

"She's a telekinetic, Tay'jay," Ma'ri said. "She'll be all right. Look, I can already see her."

Tay'jay sighed. "I'm going out to help her. I'll have to turn off my comm. so that the instruments won't get sand in them. If Nu'na phones in, tell her not to move until I say so."

The wind and the sand blew Tay'jay so hard to the side that he had to drop to his knees to secure himself. He opened his staff and used it as an anchor. Slowly he stepped towards Ta'lay, who was using all of her concentration to keep the wind from rolling her like tumbleweed.

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light. The pressure threw Tay'jay several feet away. When he landed, the sand immediately began to cover him. He scrambled with much difficulty to his feet. Hundreds of pieces of debris hurtled towards him. That was when he realized that he had just survived a powerful explosion. In a vain effort, he called out for Ta'lay, dodging the barrage of debris along the way until he finally came to the ship. That was when he tripped over something too soft to be debris. The wind pushed him on his side, and again the sand tried to cover him. Tay'jay was now crawling blindly, desperately searching for what he knew was a body. Finally, he came across a hand that had been buried under the sand. He struggled to pull the body attached to it. He had no idea whether or not this was really Ta'lay, but he believed it so, and that was enough for him. With his staff in one hand and the body in another, he struggled towards the beacon of hope that was the ship, now ignoring the debris that pelted him along the way.

A strong pair of hands pulled him through the virtual glass shield, and he collapsed to his knees out of exhaustion.

The Espelons dragged him and the body aboard the ship and closed it off. When his vision cleared, he saw Ma'ri trying to help him sit up and removing his shroud.

"What happened out there?" Tay'jay asked.

"An explosion," Ma'ri said, "and a powerful one at that."

[She has major injuries to her abdomen and her head, one of the Espelon medics said[so be gentle with her.

"Who is that?" Tay'jay asked.

"You brought her inside—"

"But I couldn't see her face!" Tay'jay cried, interrupting Ma'ri. "Who is it?"

Ma'ri sighed. "It's Ta'lay, captain. She's hurt pretty badly too."

A wave of grief washed over Tay'jay's mind. He and Ta'lay had just barely survived the explosion. He knew there was no hope for Nu'na and her team. Thus there was no reason for him to listen to Ma'ri as she debriefed him and checked him for injuries.

* * *

Link could not believe something as simplistic as picking out Christmas toys could turn into something so complicated. He stood in between two shelves—one consisting of every kind of board game known to man and the other of every kind of puzzle. He wanted to give something to Ariel that was challenging but would not fall out of style as she got older. It seemed simple enough until he found out there were 30 different versions of Trivial Pursuit, 18 different versions of the Game of Life, 12 different versions of Monopoly, and an endless variety of Chess and Checkers sets—not to mention the hundreds of other different games and puzzles modeled after popular television shows. He had not yet been to the electronics section, but he knew that was going to be ten times worse.

Now, he wished that he had brought Da'an with him, but he was expecting a visit today. For their safety, he could not bring Da'an or Ariel.

After several minutes of debating in his mind, he settled on the family version of Trivial Pursuit, two different toy puzzles that converted themselves into Taelon spacecrafts, and an expensive glass Chess set. Then, he continued the aggravating journey to the electronics section.

Just before he could leave the aisle, a black woman with a perm of curly hair stepped in front of him with her own basket.

Link shook his head. "Pretty odd place to give a report."

"My sentiments exactly," she replied. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"What does it look like? I'm buying toys."

The woman overlooked his selections. "Trivial Pursuit. Children's puzzles. Pretty strange Christmas presents for an adult, not so?"

"We all go out and buy toys for those families in hiding that can't afford to do it themselves," Link lied. "Just doing my part."

"Where are you headed next?" she asked him.

"The electronics section."

"Good. I've got to buy some stuff for my nephew. You can brief me along the way."

"So that's why you met me here. Killing two birds with one stone, eh?"

"Keep it business, Brigadier General," she said.

Link nodded and waited until they came to the movie section, the one part of the electronics section that had little to no people.

"As Hubble's lackey, I've found out that there are some advantages and some disadvantages. He lets me close, but not too close," Link said. "I gather he's either testing me for something or protecting me from something. Overall, however, I've noticed a change in his mood patterns. He seems more withdrawn from the social environment than usual. He attends the bare minimum of events, and he doesn't go to the White House anymore unless he has to."

"How drastic is the change?"

"That's the thing. It's so subtle that no one would notice it, or they'd attribute it to what happened with the elections. He's also been making several trips abroad."

"That's not unusual. Isn't he supposed to be stepping down? He might be looking for a successor."

"I don't think so. The countries he goes to are ANA affiliated, but he disappears within for hours—sometimes days—at a time. He has me secure his place in the embassies, but he'll leave with his secret service agents. He won't tell me where he's going."

"You think he's using that as a cover to go other places?"

"I won't know until I can convince him to let me get deeper. He's going to a winter summit meeting the day after tomorrow in Geneva. I'll see if I can work on him there, but I think we're about to come across something big. We could be getting to that place we've been worried about."

"If that's the case, time's of the essence. You need to dig deeper, as deep as you can. I'll inform the other contacts to stand by and stay alert. I'll also check the headlines for any suspect upcoming events." She reached into the breast pocket of her jacket and pulled out an index card. "This is where I'm staying. Stay sharp, and keep in close contact."

"It's done. You should watch yourself too," Link advised.

* * *

Liam stepped out of the portal and into the Mothership, and he let the memories flood his mind. It had been months. The last time he had seen this place was when he was investigating the killings his surrogate father had committed. The memories were bittersweet as he walked down the dark blue corridors. Even the fresh, organic smell brought back seemingly distant memories—memories of his casual conversations with Da'an, memories of his father and Zo'or striding menacingly down the corridors, memories of protectors with whom he had made friends and enemies, and memories of dire times where he was all that stood between the Mothership and destruction at the hands of its enemies. He remembered the quiet music that the Mothership would play in certain areas. He remembered Taelons he had met.

However, all of these memories did nothing to rid Liam of the ominous undertone lingering in the back of his mind. This Mothership was not quite the same as the Mothership from his memories. It appeared the same, it sounded the same, and it even smelled the same. But it was not the same. Only volunteers roamed this Mothership with their guns close to their chest. No matter where he looked nor where he walked, Liam could not find one single Taelon aboard. Where had they all gone? The Moonbase perhaps? And what of the news that had brought him here in the first place?

One day, a face he did not recognize appeared on his global and called him here. Was this a simple meeting or a confrontation? Perhaps his past with the resistance was finally coming back to haunt him. Maybe the secret of his resistance affiliations had not died with Zo'or and Sandoval. He remembered that Da'an had received a similar summons long ago. It had been from Zo'or on that day—that fateful day. Was he walking towards something similar? If so, he was coming frighteningly close to the point of no return. Once he crossed it, no one could save him.

The bridge of the Mothership was so silent and empty that Liam thought for a moment that it was haunted. He could not even see the Taelon pilots performing their daily duties. The pods had been completely covered. Instinctually, Liam reached for his pistol as if that would protect him from what he was certain was the upcoming ambush.

A figure in a black suit walked appeared from another corridor. It was a white man with dark hair and green eyes. His youthful appearance briefly reminded Liam of Tay'jay. This man had that same roundness in his face, and his hair was cut the same. His nose, however, was different. It was slightly thicker, and its tip was perched slightly higher. His lips were thinner, and his chin was not nearly as strong and firm as Tay'jay's.

When he was face-to-face with the man, Liam realized that the suit was not black, but in fact midnight blue. Then, he found the key difference he had been looking for, the difference between human and Taelon. No Taelon's eyes could hide their age for long, and this man's eyes carried with them the uncertainty that was often affiliated with human youth. He wondered if his own eyes often conveyed that same uncertainty. Liam banished the thought and estimated this man was in his late twenties or early thirties. This was probably his first assignment with the Companions.

"Major Liam Kincaid?" he asked, extending his hand.

Liam nodded and shook his hand. The firmness of the shake told Liam that the man had confidence to make up for his lack of experience.

"Special Agent Jacob Proctor," the man introduced. "The Leader of the Synod regrets that he's not here to speak with you personally, but he has some last minute issues to handle."

"So the Taelons have chosen a new Synod then?"

"Yes, sir," Proctor replied.

"Is this your first time working with the companions?" Liam asked him bluntly.

"So you noticed then?" Proctor said uneasily. "Yes, I was just recently promoted."

"What do you think of them?"

"They're, um, a lot more mysterious than I thought they'd be."

"I used to think that too," Liam chuckled. "So why did they send you here?"

"The Leader of the Synod sent me here to congratulate you," Proctor explained. He opened his suit jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a black wallet on first glance. When he opened it, Liam saw his picture next to a brand new and shining badge. "As the most senior and decorated member of the companion security staff, due to your reputation as Da'an's most distinguished protector, and as the only survivor of the Moonbase massacre incident, the Leader of the Synod has selected you to be the head of security for all companions on Earth and his own personal companion protector."

Liam's heartbeat rapidly increased with every syllable uttered from Proctor's statement. Once the man exchanged Liam's old badge with his new one, Liam's felt his heart leap right into his chest.

"You appear surprised, sir," Proctor said.

"I…I…just…thought that—I just never thought that the Leader of the Synod would pick an un-implanted agent to be his protector." Liam had to work for that lie. In reality, the whole situation surprised him.

"The Leader of the Synod wishes for you to know that CVI implantation is your choice," Proctor said. "Due to the incidents surrounding the CVIs and their suspected involvement in Sandoval's actions, the Synod is now leaving it up to every human to decide whether or not he wants to be implanted."

"Oh, that's great," Liam breathed.

"It is pretty overwhelming, isn't it?" Proctor laughed.

"You have no idea," Liam said, joining him. "This is…an honor."

"Well, now that that business is out of the way, I can tell you why _I'm_ here," Proctor said. "You're looking at your new partner."

"My partner?"

"That's right. I'm your second in command. When you're not able to perform your duties, I take over, and I'm your partner in the upcoming assignment."

"What assignment?"

Proctor waved his hand to reveal a picture of the Vatican in Rome within a datastream. "Under normal circumstances, the Taelons hold the coronation of the Synod privately. However, this synod is no longer exclusive to the Taelons. The priests want this synod to be the people's synod, a symbol of the end of Zo'or's reign of terror and the return to close relationship our species shared when the Taelons first arrived. Therefore, they want to hold the coronation on Earth. The priests along with religious figures representing every major faith on the planet will converge on the Vatican and bless the Synod member representing their region. Then, the Taelons will travel to all their respective embassies and hold a worldwide celebration with the people."

"Don't the different time zones around the world make it impossible to have all the parties at the same time?" Liam asked.

"We'll compensate where need be. As long as the overall message gets across. It'll be like those charity concerts Live Earth and Live Aid, but you know, without the politically outspoken celebrities. Better to think of it as an early New Year's celebration, just in the daytime instead of night."

"I'm thinking about it, and it sounds like a monstrous undertaking."

"Oh, it will be. That's why we need to get started now. The Leader of the Synod's not in the solar system right now, but he'll be back just before the ceremony. Then, you'll get to meet with him personally."

"I should've known my first assignment would be a big one," Liam said as Proctor turned off the datastream, "and you're right. I'll need all the help I can get. Why don't you debrief me on everything that's happened while I've gone as a nice icebreaker?"

"Oh, so my personally giving you the job wasn't a big enough icebreaker?" Proctor joked.

"I like you," Liam said. "You're not nearly as uptight as Sandoval was. In fact, you remind me a little of myself when I first started."

"Great," Proctor said, following Liam out of the bridge. "Sounds like we've got lots to teach each other."

* * *

"I don't get why we have to stay all traditional," Augur protested.

"He's got a point, Renee," Street said. "Red, green and white don't really blend well with the café anyway. It's like trying to use a fancy silver piece to cover a hole in the wall. You just can't do it. It looks tacky."

"I'm all for being a little different, but this is a Christmas party," Renee said. "When people walk into the café, I want to make sure they know that, and I don't think metallic silver, hot pink—"

Augur glared an accusing look at Street, who shrank into her seat.

"—and indigo really help with that."

"Nobody's saying it has to be those colors," Street said. "If we did it my way—"

"Oh, I know what it would be like if we did it your way," Augur protested, pointing to his repainted floors and walls to drive the point home. "That's why we're not doing it that way."

"You are never gonna let me live down turning Flat Planet into a nightclub, are you?" Street said sharply. "Never mind the fact that you made twice as much money in one night than you do in a week keeping the café an all-day joint. I keep telling you, the daytime crowd is killing your business. You never listen to me, and hot pink is a fashionable color. It's the new red."

"It's a sin against man, and you know it! Besides, The Flat Planet is one of my few business endeavors that isn't about money," Augur said.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Would you two focus on the party?" Renee asked. "I don't care if you turn this café into a pub."

"What does a pub have to do with the Christmas party?" Augur asked.

"Nothing! I was talking about—ugh!" Renee said in irritation. "Let's just get back to planning the party. All I'm saying is that there have to be winter-oriented colors, decorations, and possibly a Christmas tree."

"Absolutely not!" Street cried.

"Now wait a minute. I'm okay with the Christmas tree as long as it's not a big one," Augur said. "Hey! What if we stocked the place with little mini Christmas trees on all the tables like I did three years ago? We put little bitty gifts under the trees like matches and those fancy breath mints."

"See? Now you're thinking," Renee said.

"As long as it's not some giant twelve footer," Street conceded. "Those things are always such an eyesore, and by the time Christmas comes all the needles fall off."

"Okay, what if we hung streamers and ornaments all across the ceiling?" Renee asked.

While Street and Augur were vehemently protesting Renee's suggestion, Da'an and Ariel walked through the café door. Ariel's sky blue winter parka and blue mittens with a picture of a snowman woven into the palms made her look like a miniature snowman herself. Da'an was wearing a white wool coat with a white cap made of cashmere. Ariel interrupted the group's argument by enthusiastically announcing that it was snowing outside. Street rushed up to Ariel and embraced her.

"Oh, thank God!" Augur cried. "The voice of reason has finally arrived."

Da'an had a wry grimace on her face as she let Street take Ariel to the window so that Ariel could show her the falling snowflakes. "Why did you call me here? It has been only two days after Thanksgiving, and the ANA employees are still on vacation."

"Word on the street is you've got a good eye on decorating," Renee said, pointing at Augur and confirming to Da'an that he was the one who suggested Da'an come. "I figured I'd ask for your opinion."

"Fine, as long at it is not on something as vapid as a Christmas party," Da'an said removing her coat and revealing a thick red turtleneck sweater, dark brown pants and suede brown hiking boots with thick dark brown soles.

Renee lowered her head. Street winced and softly put Ariel down to stand while Augur started nervously twiddling his fingers.

"Oh no! Is this about a Christmas party?" Da'an exclaimed.

"Renee likes to plan things way in advance," Augur said sheepishly.

Da'an rolled her eyes. "I should have known. You three do realize that I am an alien from beyond the galaxy that has not once celebrated Christmas in any way, shape or form?"

"Which is exactly why we need you here," Renee said. "We need an unbiased opinion to help us with the decorating."

"Nice cap, Da'an," Street complimented, examining its softness and wooliness. "What is that? Cashmere?"

"Yes. I found it on sale at a department store with the coat," Da'an explained, brushing the snowflakes off her coat. "We went to the After Thanksgiving Day Sale."

"Awesome!" Street cried. "So did I! Hey, what time did you wake up?"

"Rembrandt and I…did not really go to bed that night," Da'an said with a furtive smile, "but we left at five."

"I woke up at three," Street said. "The store I go to opens at five, and I camped out with some friends. I love the After Thanksgiving Day sales. I always get the best deals on clothes and electronics then. It's probably the only time I actually spend money."

"Oh come on, Street," Augur said. "When was the last time you spent money at any kind of sale? You got up that early because you couldn't get a bootleg copy of that new VR system you've been gloating about for the past month and had to wait in line like a commoner."

"Hey, I may not have been able to get it on the streets, but I didn't have to pay full price and I got it before most people. That's all that matters," Street shot back. "Besides, pot, you used to go to the After Thanksgiving Day sales all the time to get those geeky clothes you waste your money on. You're just as rich as Renee and you have the fashion sense of a cheap Vegas hotel—no, not even Vegas. Reno!"

"Well, it's better than having the fashion sense of a ghetto-fringe white girl!"

"Will you all shut up?" Renee yelled. "This is the last time I'm gonna tell you guys to focus on the party!"

Street pretended to yelp in fear. "Yes, ma'am," she said, adding a phony salute and trotting back behind the bar.

Da'an sniggered, but she immediately converted it into the sound of her clearing her throat and started helping Ariel out of her parka when she saw Renee's menacing glare.

"Uncle Augur, can I have some hot chocolate?" Ariel asked after squeezing out of the parka. She was wearing a white turtleneck under black corduroy overalls.

"Sure, kid," Augur said. "I'll brew up a batch—Good lord, Da'an! Not you too!"

Augur was referring to Da'an's strands. She had removed her cap after helping Ariel out of her parka and mittens. The strands had been cut short and now extended to the end of her neck. However, the length was not what Augur was referring to. For some reason, Da'an's strands were now bright hot pink!

Da'an observed the strands for herself. "Oh, it's been doing that," she groaned. "I have no clue why." She shook her head and converted it back to the red color they had all grown used to. "This morning, it turned blue while I was changing."

"I liked it when it was blue," Ariel said. "I said she should've kept it that way."

"I actually liked it pink," Street said.

"You see why nobody listens to you concerning the decorations?" Renee asked.

"Shut up! At least I'm trying to put a fresh spin on the holiday," Street snapped.

"Christmas doesn't need a fresh spin on it," Renee said. "Why do you think there haven't been any new Christmas carols since the 1930s?"

"Maybe that's the problem. Maybe that's why Christmas is so boring that even the Taelons don't celebrate it," Street argued.

"Funny," Da'an retorted. "I always thought it was because we are not Christians."

"Da'an, please put a stop to this madness and help us come up with a theme," Renee pleaded.

Da'an shrugged and joined the group while Augur took Ariel to the back to help him look for some hot chocolate mix.

"We want something fresh and original," Renee explained, "but not too outrageous."

"All right. Let's start with something simple. Who's the clientele?"

"Who?" Renee asked.

"The guests! Who is going to be attending this party?" Da'an asked more firmly.

"Oh. It's for the Resistance members in DC," Renee said. "We decided that with everything that's happened, the Resistance could use a boost of morale. So we're throwing a Christmas party."

"How old will they be?" Da'an asked.

"It'll vary from my age to Renee's," Street said. "Here's the guest list, if you want an idea."

"That's not necessary," Da'an said overlooking the surroundings of the café. "What kind of food will you be serving?"

"Food?" Renee asked.

"You do plan on feeding these people, don't you?" Da'an asked condescendingly.

"Yes," Renee said defensively. "We just haven't really thought of it yet."

"What? You call this a party, and you haven't even planned for food yet?" Da'an asked in disbelief. "That should have been the first thing you went over. Look, I've been dragged to enough parties to know. Nobody is going to care how beautiful this café looks if they are not properly fed. That's why 90 percent of the guests attend a party in the first place. Haven't you ever been to a wedding? People gossip if you do not give them good food."

"Well, I guess we could do a traditional theme with the food," Renee said. "We could have bunch of hors d'oeuvres, but they can be Christmas-themed. Like maybe ham and cheese."

"Or a dessert marinated in eggnog cream," Street suggested. "Oh! Or even better. We could have a bunch of hors d'oeurves surrounding a big holiday ham. We could even bring a tofu turkey or something for people who don't eat meat."

"I might have to hire a caterer for the food," Renee said.

"Then, get to it woman," Augur called. "Da'an's right. Whatever we have, it'd better be some damn good food."

"We should bring that mixologist too," Street said. "You know the one. The one that looks like you but cooler?"

"April?" Renee asked wryly.

"Yeah! Oh my God, Da'an, she makes the greatest martinis," Street said.

"I wouldn't know," Da'an said. "I have an idea about the décor."

Street and Renee listened attentively as Da'an described her vision to them. Meanwhile, Augur and Ariel had finally returned with Ariel's cup of hot chocolate.

"So how's your schooling been going, kid?" Augur asked Ariel waiting for Da'an to finish.

"Su'ki left," Ariel said, "so Mommy and Daddy home school me. I read lots of books."

"What kinds of books?"

"All kinds," Ariel said simply.

"Well, what's your favorite?"

"I don't know. _The Oresteia's_ pretty cool, but everybody kills everyone."

"Yeah, they tend to do that in Greek tragedy." Augur asked. "What else do you know?"

"Mommy's teaching me math," Ariel said. "I know all my arithmetic because of Su'ki, so she's teaching me algebra and geometry. I like it when she teaches me geometry because she makes shapes out of the water with her powers and I have to figure out the volume. It's fun. Then, we practice languages together. I'm learning three new Taelon dialects and I can talk for twenty minutes in Eunoia. I can also read Taelon poetry. I'm learning about the legend of the avatar twins and the sleeper."

"I guess you think you're real smart now, huh?" Augur asked. "A one-year-old who knows all that."

"I'm not one year old yet," Ariel said. "My birthday's in January, silly."

"Well, when your mommy's finished teaching you algebra, why don't you come on down to the lair and I'll teach you about computers?" Augur offered. "I can teach you how to swear in binary code."

"Okay!" Ariel said eagerly.

"Speaking of codes," Augur said, checking to see if Da'an was finished talking. When he saw that she was silent, he put Ariel on a barstool with her cup. "Don't lean back. You'll fall."

"Okay," Ariel said.

While Renee and Street were going over Da'an's suggestions, Augur crept up behind Da'an to tap her on the shoulder. However, Da'an turned before he could get close. She must have sensed his coming, Augur decided, and he made his way to the back of the café knowing she would follow.

Da'an followed Augur to a storage room. "Are you ready to tell me why I am really here?"

"Sorry. I was going to tell you over the phone when Renee called me about this stupid party business," Augur explained. "I just wanted to tell you that it's finished."

"The communication program?" Da'an confirmed.

"The very same," Augur replied. "I've done 20 trials, and I've determined that it's ready for activation. You give the word, and it'll be online. I adapted it into an artificial intelligence program. It's like a hybrid between a private Internet server and a computer virus. It can override any digital communications system on the planet."

"Excellent," Da'an complimented. "And it is separate from the Atlantic National Alliance communication system like I asked?"

"Are you kidding me?" Augur asked. "If anything, my system will override the ANA system. With a little help from some old college buddies of mine, we field-tested the system through the old resistance comms. They even gave me some tips on how to enhance it that I didn't think of."

"This is exactly what I need," Da'an said. "You have done well, Mr. Devereaux."

"So what next?" Augur asked.

"For now, nothing," Da'an said. "The information you obtained from the Mothership cleared, but I have my own affairs to address before I can use it."

"Wait, so that's it?" Augur asked with vex. "There's nothing else for me to do? You don't need me for anything else?"

"It would do you well to shy away from the Atlantic National Alliance now," Da'an advised. "Take this opportunity to rest and relax at your leisure. Surely you have some personal business to address."

"I have plenty of that," Augur said.

"Good. Handle it," Da'an said. "Do whatever you want. Just stay away from the Atlantic National Alliance, and it would be advantageous to relay that advice to J. Street as well. I have advised my other colleagues to do the same."

"No problem. I never liked working a nine-to-five anyway," Augur shrugged. He showed Da'an out of the storage closet. "That system really gave me some good ideas to bounce off of now. I think I'm just going to go on a holiday splurge and see what kind of trouble I can cause."

"As long as your efforts do not land you in prison—"

The booming sounds of an explosion rang through Da'an's ears so loudly that she had to close them. She felt the singe of burning sands in her eyes. The pressure of the explosion knocked the air out of her. A sharp pain smashed against her back, letting her know she had hit the ground. As she tried to pull her mind out of the nightmare, voices she recognized spoke frantically to her. She felt a pair of hands take her shoulders. The image of debris flying through the desert storm and the image of the café flickered. She heard the voices of Espelons calling her name—calling her brother's name. It was the steady voice calling her by her real name that pulled her out of the vision and back into the café. She realized she was seated with her knees pointing sideways and her firmly situated hands as the only anchors keeping her from collapse. Augur's alarmed voice grew louder and louder until she had no choice but to respond.

"I am all right," Da'an breathed, wincing over the headache that followed.

"What did you see?" Augur asked, trying to help her stand.

"Something has happened to Tay'jay," Da'an said, as Augur helped her to her feet. However, the position was short-lived as Da'an's legs wobbled and she nearly dropped back on the floor. Augur pulled Da'an and helped her lean against the wall. "I heard an explosion, but I could not see it. The force threw me into a desert storm."

"But Tay'jay's okay, right?"

Da'an shook her head. "I don't know."

"Do you want me to check it out?" Augur offered.

"Just make sure he is all right," Da'an said, trying in vain to conceal her worry.

"I'll get to the bottom of it," Augur said. "In the meantime, maybe you should take Ariel home. I'll come up with something for the girls to believe. I'll call you the second I learn anything."

Da'an sank down on to the floor and closed her eyes. He could tell that something more than Tay'jay's welfare had shaken Da'an. Whatever it was, Augur suspected that she was delving deeper into the vision to rectify it. His suspicions were confirmed when he grabbed Da'an's hand and she winced at the interruption, jerking the hand away.

"Hey. It's gonna be all right. Don't worry about him," Augur said, trying more so to prevent Da'an from doing something rueful than to console her. "Tay'jay's strong. Even if he is hurt, I'm sure he'll bounce right back. He's too stubborn to die."

Da'an nodded and pushed herself off the floor. "I'll stay here. I will be fine," she said to Augur and walked back to find Ariel spinning happily on the barstool. Da'an smiled at Ariel and then at Augur. He nodded in acknowledgement of her decision to stay and announced to the ladies that personal business beckoned him back to the lair.

_She must know that he's okay, or she would've gone home. Then, what is she really worried about?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Link had to admit that there was something regal about Hubble as he stood behind his podium and made his closing statements to the Atlantic National Alliance leaders. Hubble had turned his speech promising the members better days to come into an epigram that sounded almost Shakespearean. These past weeks as Hubble's right-hand man had served as a firm reminder that despite all of Hubble's short-comings, he was a master of rhetoric, which was why he was working in the White House and why he had been chosen to lead the ANA as the United States representative. _It almost makes me wish Da'an and I were wrong about him. _

There was a burst of applause that lasted for at least five minutes. That was Link's signal that he needed to round up the security team that was circling the meeting room in a perimeter. He and four agents were waiting as Hubble exited shaking hands with other representatives along the way.

"My agents tell me that the press presence is minimal," Link whispered to Hubble as he left, "so we shouldn't have any trouble leaving."

Hubble shook hands one last time with his associates and apologized for not being able to attend the holiday reception. Then, he followed Link to the building's exit where his limo awaited.

"Ride with me, Dauterive," Hubble said as he stepped through the passenger door.

Link told the agents to keep in close contact as they traveled to the portal station, and then he stepped into the car.

"That was a nice speech you made," Link complimented as the limousine moved forward.

"Don't thank me," Hubble said. "Thank the President's speech writer. Thompson lets me use her when he's not touring and campaigning."

_I should've known. _"Ah, but remember Mr. Urick, a writer's text is only as good as it's orated."

"Especially these days when we live in such a visual age," Hubble said. "You know, Dauterive, I've been watching you for the past months. The military's sure made quite a man out of you. You're calm, professional, urbane, and you have an indubitable sense of duty."

"Maybe I'm average, and Liam just sucked that badly," Link joked.

Hubble chuckled. "You have a hell of a witticism too. Working with people like Kincaid and your…um—what exactly are you and Da'an anyway?"

"I believe the term would be 'intimate partners,' sir," Link answered.

"Ah, yes. Working with people like Kincaid and your intimate partner has given me a sixth sense about people. It has also taught me to trust in the multifaceted. Do you understand where I'm going with this?"

"Not exactly," Link said. _Is he testing me?_

"You have the poise of a politician, the astuteness of a scholar, and the discipline of a soldier. These are the ripe ingredients of a man with a secret. You seem like the type that can keep secrets, that can live with himself when ordered to work with the highest level of discretion. You don't question the judgment of your superiors."

"Not openly, sir." _He _is _testing me._

"Let me give you an example, Dauterive. You have graciously given Da'an and Ariel your living space. You love them both unconditionally, but you still keep secrets from them, particularly Da'an. You're hiding something from Da'an, aren't you?"

Link sighed. It was time for him to take the bait. "I love Da'an, sir. I trust her with my life, but…"

"Go on," Hubble pressed.

"Sometimes…I don't agree with her motives. I'm not all that convinced that Da'an's interests are with humanity. Think about it. Look how she did so little to help Liam and how she lets the Espelons treat Captain Marquette's memory. But what really tipped me off was how she shied away from the elections. Here was a moment when it was about nobody else but humanity. This was Da'an's chance to really help us, but she let all our candidates lose."

"Exactly," Hubble goaded on. "I believe the same thing."

"It's not just that, sir," Link said. "Lately she's become cold and withdrawn. She only cares about how powerful she can become. I guess what makes me the most suspicious of her is the fact that _she's_ keeping secrets from _me_. She has all these private meetings with Tay'jay and Ta'lay and won't tell me what's going on. I don't want to tell her, but…I'm starting to doubt her."

"I understand you completely," Hubble said sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, sir. I just feel ashamed when I say things like this. I love her so much, but she won't open up to me," Link said.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Dauterive," Hubble said. "I have had the same suspicions about Da'an and her Espelons for quite some time. The whole circumstance that brought about their involvement is suspect to me."

"Sir, you don't think that Da'an would betray us, do you?" Link asked fabricating a worried stare.

"I have no doubt that Da'an is becoming more _human-like_. She has an understanding of humanity that those Taelons and Espelons never will. She looks more human, she acts more human, and she may even feel more human to you. However, at the end of the day, we must remember what Da'an is and will always be: an alien, one that has had over 2000 years to become the manipulative genius that she is."

"I've shared with Da'an on many occasions. I've given her my heart and my mind. I just can't see her betraying us."

"And yet she is still able to keep secrets from you. Don't get me wrong, Rembrandt. I respect Da'an. She is one of the strongest and most intelligent people I have ever met. I just want to make sure that her ambitions don't conflict with humanity's best interest. Da'an can have all the best-laid plans for humanity and her people, Rembrandt, but they will always be _her_ plans. What Da'an fails to realize is that only humanity can make its own destiny. We are not her tools nor are we her weapon she can use to satisfy some age-old family rancor."

_He's stopped calling me "Dauterive." He calls me by my first name now to try to establish trust. He's good. If I really had suspicions about Da'an, I might actually have fallen for this._ "I just want to do what's best for her."

"Then, we understand each other," Hubble said. "Rembrandt, you are a decorated man with admirable qualities. You have a sense of honor and duty that I have not seen for many years. So many of these young men who join protection services, Liam Kincaid being the prime example, are so insubordinate and tawdry with their personas. Nobody respects anybody anymore. But you…you respect me, and I respect you, Rembrandt. That's why I am giving you the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Sir?"

"The White House has received a credible terror threat on the upcoming Taelon Synod coronation ceremony. I need an agent of real skill and dignity to help me get to the bottom of this threat. The Atlantic National Alliance is trying to rule out our own people. For me, this means Da'an. I don't want to see Da'an hauled off to the Pentagon on suspicion of terrorist activity anymore than you do. Someone with your preponderance of skill and proficiency would make a superior addition to the White House secret service."

"Are you asking me to serve as a secret service double-agent?" Link asked with genuine surprise.

"Of course you would have to formally abandon your private eye business, but more directly, this is your chance to ascertain where Da'an's true loyalties lie once and for all. Do we have an understanding?"

"I believe…I believe we do," Link said ponderously. "It would be my honor to serve you as a secret service agent."

"You've made the right choice, son," Hubble said, shaking Link's hand to seal the agreement. "When we get back to Washington, I'll bring you to the White House where we'll make everything official."

"There's no kind of training or orientation that new agents have to go through?" Link asked.

"Under normal circumstances, yes there is. However, with your records and my own personal observation of your abilities, I don't think it will be a problem postponing all that, possibly even bypassing it completely."

_So our suspicions of Urick were right on the money. Whatever he has planned, he must be trying to use me to pin it all on Da'an. It'll be a sweet little revenge if it works._

"This is…a tremendous honor, sir," Link said. "I promise you that I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Hubble said with a smirk. "How about we crack open one of these miniature champagne bottles to celebrate."

"Sounds great, sir," Link said, pulling out two glasses.

As Link shared a toast and a drink of champagne with Urick, he found himself pitying him. Sometimes knowing the fate of a man could be so disheartening. _Such a talented man._ Had Link bothered to get to know Urick before Da'an, his relationship with the two probably would have developed much differently. It made Link ashamed that future events would unfold the way Da'an had envisioned. Had he been given more time to work on Urick, he probably could have turned him into a powerful ally, but it was far too late for that now. An ill portent surrounded this talented man, and Link had been chosen as the tool to bring that omen into fruition. _It just seems like such a waste._

* * *

"Alex, I just don't see the need for a Christmas tree if everyone in this family's well aware that there is no Santa Claus," Da'an told Link.

"Putting up a Christmas tree has nothing to do with Santa Claus," Link said. "It's for decoration. It's for the sole purpose of inciting envy to every guest that walks through that door. When we have neighbors from this complex come in and share dessert recipes and Christmas cards, I want to them to take one long look at that beautifully ornamented pine tree and say, 'Geez, I wish I could do mine as good as that guy. He must have a great family.' "

"What neighbors?" Da'an asked. "With the exception of that strange old couple, this place is made up of college students and wannabe artists."

"What about the tree in the bedroom?" Ariel asked. "We could just decorate that."

"No offense sprout, but an alien tree does very little to ring in the holiday spirit," Link said.

"Oh, please, Alex. We know perfectly well what this is truly about," Da'an scoffed. "This is your sad effort to latch me and my child on to an antiquated and secular tradition that is of no meaning to us."

"Well, it sounds bad when you put it _that_ way," Link argued.

"What words would you choose to describe it?"

"I'd call it an endeavor to display to Ariel the human side of her heritage in a wholesome, nurturing, family environment at the only time of year when tidings of good cheer and peace on Earth are actually a priority."

Ariel started giggling quietly.

Da'an scoffed. "Your people."

"_Your_ people," Link retorted. "Don't be mad just because your people only celebrate one lousy holiday for the entire year."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Instead I'll thrust my child into a plethora of cheesy, secular traditions whose true spirit and meaning became lost years ago in the sea of capitalism, the entertainment industry, Hallmark and the Lifetime Television Network," Da'an responded cynically.

"You know, I might have been shocked and appalled by that unpatriotic and, dare I say, anarchistic statement were your hair not orange," Link said condescendingly.

"What?" Da'an exclaimed, grabbing one of her bangs to examine it. She found that her hair had indeed turned bright orange sometime during the argument. According to Ariel's loud and sudden burst of laughter, it had been orange for a while. "Oh! Not again!" In frustration, Da'an writhed her hands over her hair to return it yet again to its normal red color. Then, she sank into the couch next to Ariel.

"Come on, Da'an. Don't be such a grinch." Link said. "Just because Christmas is now a billion-dollar industry whose true meaning was slapped on an ugly ornament or conveyed through some cheesy television movie starring Robert Redford and Holly Hunter doesn't mean that we still can't have any fun with it. When I was a kid living with my parents, I spent my Christmases at home alone or with my uncle or my grandparents or anywhere else my parents could dump me while they went to some boring gala and ate pâté. Then, when I started living with my uncle, Christmas was that day at military prep when I got a card with a complementary bottle of scotch from my uncle wishing me the best of luck. I never thought I was the type to settle down with a family, but now that I have, I want to give my kid the full-blown winter holiday extravaganza. I want to take you all out to pick out a tree and spend the whole day decorating it with ornaments and Christmas lights while we bake cookies, eat popcorn and watch 'It's a Wonderful Life.' I want to shower her with presents under the tree and watch her tear through all that expensive wrapping paper on Christmas morning. I want to take her to see one of those corny mall Santas and let her sit on his lap and tell her what she wants him to bring her. I know she knows there's no such thing as Santa Claus, but who cares? Ninety percent of the children in line at that mall probably know there's no Santa Claus. I want to dress her up in one of those cute velvet winter dresses with white stockings and take her to see The Nutcracker Ballet. I want to take her over to someone's house to eat ham, turkey and try one of those God-awful fruitcakes. And when it's all over, I want to take us all out to a fancy restaurant, go see one of the big Oscar contenders this season and then stay up 'til midnight waiting for that ball to go down at Times Square and bring in the New Year."

"Please, please, Mommy," Ariel said, pulling her sleeve. "I want to sit on the mall Santa's lap and pull his beard when we're posing for the picture so everyone will know there's no Santa Claus. And I like The Nutcracker."

Da'an laughed.

"How about it, sweetie?" Link asked.

"All right. We can get the tree," Da'an said putting her hands up as a sign of defeat, "and do…all those other things."

With a cry of glee, Ariel jumped into Da'an's arms and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Mommy."

Link kissed her cheek too. "You're doing the right thing, honey."

"You two are so strange sometimes," Da'an said shaking her head. "I'd better get that."

"Get what?" Link asked.

As if on cue, the sounds of a global ringing came from the kitchen. "That," Da'an said, getting up to answer her global.

"I don't know about your mother's powers sometimes, sprout," Link said, sitting next to Ariel on the couch.

"Mommy's worried about Uncle Tay'jay," Ariel said.

"Yeah, I know," Link said.

"I see," Da'an said into the global. "That's wonderful. We would love to. All right. We will see you then. Good night, and congratulations." Da'an closed the global and placed it back on the counter. "That was Liam."

"What'd he say?"

Da'an smiled furtively. "Apparently, he has been promoted. Major Kincaid is now the head of Taelon security and personal protector to the new Leader of the Synod."

"You sound like you were expecting this," Link said.

"No, but I am feeling much better now," Da'an said. "He wants to take us out to lunch tomorrow to celebrate."

"Sounds good to me," Link said. "All right, sprout. It's bedtime for you."

"Can't I stay up a little longer?" Ariel asked.

"Not this time," Link said.

"Mommy, please?" Ariel asked, with a pitiful look on her face.

"Ariel, don't look at me like that," Da'an said.

"Yeah, don't look at your mother," Link said. "You mother's not gonna help you. Get ready for bed."

"Okay," Ariel grumbled. "Mommy, can you use the bubbly soap to make bubbles with me?"

Da'an opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of bubble bath soap. She tossed it to Link, who handed it off to Ariel. "Get started. I will be there in a few moments."

Ariel ran to the bathroom to draw her bath. When they heard the water running, Link got up and joined Da'an in the kitchen area.

"You ready to tell me what this is really about?" Link said in a serious tone.

"I did not see my vision of Tay'jay until seconds before it occurred," Da'an said. "For all I know, I saw it just as it was happening. I do not understand why I could not see it sooner."

"Maybe you weren't meant to see it sooner," Link said. "You're in a whole other galaxy right now. Tell me what you could've done if you'd found out about it sooner. Even if you had traveled all those light years just to tell Tay'jay about it, it wouldn't have stopped him from doing what he needs to do. You didn't see it sooner because there was nothing you could do to prevent it."

"I cannot shake this feeling that something important remains hidden from me," Da'an said. "There is something in this unfolding series of events that I cannot see. The high priest sees the same things that I see, maybe even less, but all this time, he has done nothing to stop me. It is as if he wants this to happen. What if he has found a way to hide something from me or is using this situation to his advantage?"

"I don't think the priests are doing anything different than you," Link said, caressing the back of Da'an's neck. "For everything action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For everything we do, there is a consequence, and sometimes we can't see it. It's called collateral damage."

"And I cannot minimize that damage unless I can see it."

"Fate doesn't show you these images to stop them or prevent them. It shows you so that you can prepare for them, and that's just what you're doing."

"I am no longer preparing," Da'an said. "I am capitalizing."

Link gently turned Da'an to face him. She could see the intense fear in his eyes. "Don't be tempted to delve deeper into your foresight," Link warned. "Regardless of how powerful you become, you are and always will be a mortal woman. Don't create a prison for yourself by convincing yourself of anything different."

Da'an assuaged Link's fears with a sympathetic smile. She gently pressed her finger against his forehead, and he sighed with relief. The thought she transferred to him was a wordless one, but it was an assurance nonetheless. However, Da'an was quick to add, "The priests are hiding something from me. They are doing the exact same thing that I do now for the exact same reasons. Hubble has no idea how deep is the Pandora's box he has opened."

"It seems like such a waste," Link said. "He's not really that bad a guy."

"Don't saccharine yourself to Urick's situation," Da'an cautioned. "As I cannot let my powers overtake me again, so too can you not let yourself be controlled by your sympathies. Regardless of the circumstances that brought about Urick's unfortunate demise, his ultimate mission is to destroy me. This makes him a nuisance, a barrier to my agenda. He is a fool and a victim of his ambitions."

"How ironic," Link said. "You may not like Urick, but you two aren't so different."

"I know what you are thinking without having to read your mind. Urick and I may employ the same methods to get what we want, but there is one singular, defining difference between the two of us," Da'an noted.

"And what's that?"

"Urick is more apt to be manipulated, and I will no longer be toyed with by anyone," Da'an said.

"Urick's using me to hurt you."

Da'an rolled her eyes. "What is your goal in all of this, Alex? What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm beginning to think that I misjudged Urick. Maybe he's not as dangerous as we made him out to be."

"What is so innocent about him? He has convinced himself that he is a martyr, a beloved leader and fighter on behalf of humanity. He is an extremist, and the only reason he is not as dangerous as initially discerned is because I have slowly and steadily stripped him of any control he may have had."

"I'm in a perfect position to stop Urick. I could have him arrested right now. The only reason that I don't move in now is because of you. If I arrest him, all that evidence that I may have used against him will be pinned on you. Even if he does confess, he'll name you as an accomplice, you'll be arrested, and I won't be able to stop him from doing what we all know he's going to do."

"That is not your mission," Da'an said firmly, "and you will do well to remember that. Your altruism is commendable, but this is a position that Urick has put himself into. Do not sympathize with the man. Urick is using you as a tool to destroy me. He has given you all the documents tying him to this vendetta of his, but instead of asking you to destroy them, he is asking you to white out his name and replace it with mine. Capitalize on that. Do your job, Alex, and nothing else."

"This is a dangerous game we're playing. If we play it this way, we'll play it right down to the wire."

"Now, you get it," Da'an said with a sardonic grin.

Link sighed. He had been preaching to the choir the whole time. Da'an had considered everything he had considered. Looking back on it now, she probably realized that there _was_ something she could have done long ago to save Urick. However, that opportunity had long since come and gone. Urick was beyond Da'an's help, and even if he were not, Urick would never accept her aid. Da'an simply did not care about Urick enough to help him. He was now nothing more than collateral damage, and she was now working to make sure that he was the only collateral damage.

"I think I know what you mean by minimizing the damage now," Link said.

"And what have you learned?" Da'an asked.

"Mommy, the bath's ready!" Ariel cried from the bedroom.

"I will be there in a moment, Ariel," Da'an called back. "I will not be long."

"Okay!"

Da'an turned back to Link and repeated the question.

"I'm beginning to understand your temptation to delve deeper more so now."

"I do not want you or any of my friends to become collateral damage."

Link nodded comprehensively. "For everything we do, there will always be unintended consequences. It's fate's way of compensating for our individuality. You can't see everything, and that scares you. It worries you now even more so because you couldn't see what happened to Tay'jay. You think that fate closed some kind of door to you when you went insane or that your powers weakened because of it. I don't think that's true. You are powerful, but your mortality will always make you imperfect. The others and I, we started this with you knowing that there would be consequences to our involvement. We knew there would be danger. We've always known, but we're individuals. Let us take care of ourselves and be what you employed us to be—your eyes in places you can't see. We'll handle the danger when it comes."

Da'an squeezed Link's hand. "Very well, but always be cautious."

"I always am," Link said, sealing his promise with a kiss.

He walked Da'an out of the kitchen.

"And I am very proud of you for your promotion," Da'an said. "Congratulations."

"Maybe when we put Ariel to bed we can…celebrate," Link said seductively.

Da'an chuckled slyly. "Done."

* * *

Link, Da'an and Ariel arrived at an uptown shopping center full of boutiques and upscale dining locales. They found Liam brushing excess snow off his boots at the doorway in front of a restaurant called "McNabb and Sheridan." Overnight, it had snowed two extra inches, and the city workers were having trouble keeping the snow off the sidewalks. Link carried Ariel over his shoulders so that she would not have to walk through the wet sidewalks. Da'an embraced Liam, and Link shook his hand.

Inside, the hostess removed everyone's coats and escorted them to a private booth.

"Mommy, am I supposed to sit with my elbows off the table here?" Ariel asked, smoothing out her green velvet dress.

"I believe so," Da'an said. "So how are we going to do this?"

"I got it all figured out," Link said. "I'll order something big, and we'll 'pretend' like we're sharing it."

"Do you really think you can eat all that food by yourself?" Da'an asked.

"Hey. I'm a man, aren't I?"

Liam shook his head. Ariel laughed.

The waiter came and laid out their silverware. "Hello, everyone. Welcome to 'McNabb and Sheridan.' Is this your first time dining with us?"

"No, actually," Link said. "I've been to your place in New York."

"That's great," he said, pouring ice water into their glasses. "Well, for any of you who don't know, we are a seafood restaurant. We were featured in Food and Wine Magazine as having one of the best wine pairings with seafood. If you look at our specialty dishes, you will see that we have already selected a wine to complete the dish. With that said, I will leave you to look over the menus, and I will come back to take your orders. Now, are we celebrating anything special today?"

"Yes," Liam said, ignoring Link's gestures to hold his tongue. "I'm a companion protector, and I was recently promoted."

"Wait a minute," the waiter exclaimed. "Are you Major Liam Kincaid?"

Link and Da'an turned their heads inward.

"That's me," Liam said. "You're not gonna call the press, are you?"

"Of course not, sir. I just heard about your promotion on the news, and congratulations," the waiter said. "It is truly an honor to be serving a companion protector, especially one as esteemed as you. You know, sir, Da'an was always my favorite Taelon. It must have been hard for you to lose him."

Now, Da'an ducked her head low and tried discretely to cover her face, hoping that the waiter would not recognize her. Link leaned inward to help her.

"It definitely wasn't easy, but it wasn't easy to lose any of those Taelons and their protectors."

"Yes, it was definitely a sad business that," the waiter said. "And who are these people? Are they your family?"

"Um, yes they are," Liam lied. "This is my older brother, and this is his wife and daughter."

Link and Da'an cringed.

"You must be very proud of your brother, Mr…"

"Leto," Link said. "Leto Kincaid, and this is my wife Jessica. This is our daughter Alia."

"But everyone calls me Ariel," Ariel said.

Link and Da'an cringed again.

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"It's uh…"

"She has red hair just like Ariel in The Little Mermaid," Da'an explained. "Her schoolmates saw the movie, and the nickname has stuck with her ever since."

"Well, I just want you to know, Major Kincaid, we operate the most stringent discretion, and if there is anything further I can do to make your dining experience more memorable, don't hesitate to ask," the waiter said.

"Thanks," Liam said.

They waited for the waiter to leave, and then the sighs of relief poured from their lungs.

"Sorry, guys," Liam said. "I had no idea he was gonna be so nosy."

Link rolled his eyes.

"Let's just be thankful he did not recognize us," Da'an interrupted before Link could say something smart.

"I'm thankful your hair didn't change color," Link said.

"Huh?" Liam asked.

"Mommy's hair keeps changing weird colors. Last night, it was orange," Ariel said.

"That doesn't sound right," Liam said. "You think you should see Dr. Curzon about it?"

"Oh, no. It's fine," Da'an said. "It is more of a nuisance than a problem. So Ariel, what kind of seafood do you want?"

"Lobster!" Ariel said proudly.

"Lobster?" Link asked.

"Yeah! Surf! Turf!"

"Ariel, your parents are frugal people," Link said. "We don't normally get steak and lobster. I don't even know if this menu has a surf and turf entrée."

"Rembrandt, we live in a loft in downtown DC, and we buy Ralph Lauren clothing. We are hardly frugal. Even if we were, this is not a normal experience," Da'an said. "Besides, everything in this place is expensive. If the girl wants steak and lobster, get her steak and lobster."

"Yeah, Rembrandt, live a little," Liam said. "And don't worry about the bill. It's all on me…or I should say, it's all on the companion payroll."

"Get outta here," Link exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

"Why do you think I'm taking you to a place like this?" Liam asked. "They already gave me my Christmas bonus, and it's huge. I tell you, it's no wonder Sandoval was able to afford all those Armani suits."

"Sticking it to the man from beyond the moon by squandering your paychecks," Link surmised. "I think this promotion's already goin' to your head. But if you put it that way…" He immediately turned to the specialties menu, while Da'an and Ariel searched for a surf and turf entrée.

"It does not look like they have steak and lobster," Da'an said to Ariel.

"Hey, they've got this swordfish steak entrée," Liam said pointing to it on Da'an's menu. "Da'an, why don't you get this lobster dish right here, and Ariel can eat them both?"

"What's swordfish steak?" Ariel asked.

"It's good," Link said.

"It's a kind of fish, Ariel," Da'an explained. "It's meatier because it is bigger than most fish."

"Yeah, so it'll taste kind of like a steak," Liam said. "Only, it'll taste leaner."

"Kind of like how a turkey tastes leaner than a chicken," Link explained.

"Okay. I'll get the swordfish steak," Ariel said.

"You wanna get this cold crab appetizer?" Liam asked Link.

"No, but I'll take those Asian firecracker rolls," Link said.

"You're on," Liam said.

"Uncle Liam, why didn't you come to Thanksgiving dinner at Miss Palmer's?" Ariel asked.

The group fell silent, and Liam shrank into his chair.

"Major Kincaid and Miss Palmer had an argument a while ago," Da'an explained to Ariel.

"Then, why don't you just tell her you're sorry? You and I had an argument, and we made up," Ariel said to Liam.

"With grown-ups, it's…a little more complicated than that," Liam said despondently. "Renee and I just need to give each other some space."

"Don't worry," Ariel said softly. "She can't stay too mad at you."

"Thanks, kid," Liam said.

The waiter returned and took their orders, and the chattering resumed. Ariel spoke to Liam about everything Da'an and Link were teaching her at home. As he listened to the girl talking so enthusiastically about numbers, words, and languages, Da'an placed her hand over Liam's. When he looked up, he saw that Da'an was giving him a strange look. Initially, it appeared that she was staring at him, but the longer he stared, the more he realized that she was not staring at him, but rather _through_ him. As the realization came to him, Liam felt Ariel and Link's chatter slowly dissipating. He found himself lost in Da'an's eyes as she rested her head on her hand. He could not discern what instinct told him to look back at Ariel and pretend nothing was wrong. All he knew was that as soon as he looked back at her, thousands of faint whispers inundated his ears. He had no idea from where they came nor could he understand why his mind would not let him follow his instincts and look around searching for the source of the whispers.

_You have something you want to tell me._

It was definitely from Da'an where that thought had come to him, and when he realized that, it did not take him long to conclude that Da'an was communicating with him telepathically. Apparently, she did not want even Link and Ariel to hear this conversation. _But why?_

_Unfortunately, I cannot explain that to you. Keep your eyes on Ariel. Let me borrow your mind, Liam. I will control your movements so as not to arouse their suspicions. Words will come from your tongue, words that you will not understand because your focus will not be on them. Do not fight it. Just talk to me, and keep your eyes on Ariel._

_Can you hear me when I do this?_

_I can hear all your thoughts._

Liam heard Link asking him a question, but the indistinct whispering echoing through Liam's mind was behaving like feedback from a microphone. It was obscuring all other sounds in the room.

"I have a new partner," was the response that escaped from Liam's tongue. _You're controlling my mind._

_Remain focused on me, Liam. Trust me. You have something to tell me about your promotion. This is why I am here, is it not?_

_Yes._ "Yes, he's a good kid. He's a little young and inexperienced, but I'm whipping him into shape." _The new Synod has finally been elected._

_Have you met any of the new members?_

_No, I haven't met any of them. They're keeping themselves isolated. Proctor won't tell me why. I doubt he even knows, but I assume I'll meet them all as I work my assignment. _"It's actually kind of strange, walking on to a Mothership full of people you don't know. I would say it's like going to a different school, but it's not. It's like you're in the same school, but the faculty's all different. You get what I'm saying?"

_What kind of assignment is this?_

"Oh come on. I'm not that bad of a guy, am I? _The priests are planning a huge coronation ceremony on Earth._

_They have never done that before._

"Hey, don't I at least get points for trying?" _It's some kind of publicity stunt to repair the damage Zo'or made and re-establish the Taelon/human bond. Religious leaders from all over the world are converging on the Vatican at Christmastime to bless the Taelon Synod members, and then they all go to their respective embassies around the world to celebrate._

"Change the subject, Rembrandt. I am sure Liam has had enough criticism to last him a lifetime." _Rembrandt spoke of such an event as well. Hubble told him that they have received a credible threat on the ceremony._

"No hard feelings at all, Link. I just hope that you can handle him better than I could." _Actually, we've received several. A lot of extremist groups are angry that the ceremony's being held at the Vatican. They think the Taelons are showing favoritism towards Christianity, but we have people looking in on those. I wouldn't call any of them credible._

_I have no doubt that Rembrandt will come to the same conclusion. Tell me more about the environment of the Mothership. I sense that something about it troubles you._

"So what are you guys doing to celebrate your Christmas?" _That's the strange thing, Da'an. The Taelon presence on the Mothership has dwindled to nothing. There are no Taelons on the ship anymore. Proctor tells me they're all at the Moonbase with the priests now, and another strange thing is that the new Synod leader's mysteriously left the solar system._

_That is troubling. If all the Taelons have left the Mothership, that means the cleansing is finally complete. This would also explain why the Taelons have now elected a new Synod._

"That's great! I love The Nutcracker. Da'an and I used to go to the ballet every winter. It was probably the closest thing to celebrating the holidays that Da'an came to." _What do you think?_

_I believe that the priests have completed a major re-shifting of the Taelon government. T'than was correct. The agenda the priests are pursuing is the original agenda from when we first arrived. _

"I can't say. I don't pay much attention to movies." _How do you know that? Have you seen it in a vision?_

_No. This is a recycled agenda, Liam. It was implemented on Earth during the Taelon arrival, and it was used by the high priest over a thousand years ago. With slight variations, the objectives are always the same. If done behind closed doors, it is always effective. Liam, I need you to do something for me, something of the utmost importance._

"I don't know. It sounds pretty boring to me." _What is it?_

_The artifact on the Mothership, the one you and Zo'or used together—Retrieve it and bring it to me. I believe that Ma'el left more than the remnants of his research in that artifact._

"They look fantastic. Thank you." _You think he left another message for you._

_Not for me._

_With Zo'or gone, it'll be difficult to access._

_We have no choice._

_I'll do what I can, then. _

_Be cautious Liam. The high priest knows about your involvement with the human resistance, and he knows that you are close to me. He is already suspicious of you, and he has probably promoted you so that he may watch you closely. Therefore, the closer you get to the new Synod, the closer they will get to you. Your only saving grace right now is that nobody knows about your Kimeran heritage. Guard that secret with your life. If the high priest learns that you are Ha'gel's son, he will most assuredly kill you._

Liam immediately regained all of his senses like he was coming out of a daydream. He smelled the spicy aroma of the firecracker rolls and saw Da'an and Link teaching Ariel about the different sauces that came with the rolls and showing her how to eat them. Liam could not believe how oblivious Ariel and Link were to the conversation he and Da'an had shared. Da'an herself was behaving as if the conversation never took place. However, the wink she subtly gave him suggested otherwise.

"Mommy! You've gotta try this!" Ariel exclaimed. "It's so spicy!"

"Unfortunately, I cannot, Ariel," Da'an said, "but you go ahead and enjoy it for the both of us."

Liam had to admit that the conversation had left him shaken. When Zo'or was Leader of the Synod, Liam did not have to worry about Zo'or killing him. He had to worry about Zo'or experimenting on him. He had to worry about Zo'or using him as a weapon against the humans or the Jaridians. He especially had to worry about Zo'or using him to get the names of more resistance members. However, Zo'or would not have killed him. Liam would have been too valuable a prisoner, and Da'an and Liam had both known that.

"Most assuredly" meant that the high priest did not care about any of that. It was probably because the high priest did not need Liam to get to the ANA or the resistance. He probably knew the names of every member right now and was just sitting with that information. However, there was something in the way Da'an had made the statement that suggested to Liam there was more, something besides the connotation she had used. Sound never accompanied those thoughts, but feelings did. Disquieting emotions. Anger, resentment, and a deep-seated hatred. He had remembered similar emotions emerging from Bel'lie when Liam had mentioned Da'an's name, and Liam recalled well what had been the result of those feelings._ Da'an mentioned Ha'gel's name. She called me Ha'gel's son. She said the high priest would kill me if he found out that I was Ha'gel's son._ The high priest had more than the average Taelon prejudices toward the Kimera. He had a personal grudge. _But why?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The desert storm had taken days to pass, but it was finally over. Ma'ri and her team were cleaning the ship. The Espelon refugees who had been living underground surfaced when the storm finally passed to help Tay'jay. The inside of the cave was charred beyond recognition. Anything that had not been protected by virtual glass material had been incinerated, and the rock walls of the cave had become radioactive brimstone. The Espelons were still trying to find the device that had set off the explosion.

The equipment had disappeared in the blast. It had not been incinerated. It was just gone. Tay'jay employed the help of the Espelon refugees in finding it. He left them with a large amount of money to sweeten the deal and so that they could afford to clean the area and take care of anyone injured.

Ta'lay was still unconscious in the ship's infirmary. From what the doctors had told Tay'jay, he was fortunate to have found her when he did. Just a few minutes longer, Ta'lay would have bled to death. Tay'jay followed a forlorn routine of checking up on Ta'lay whenever he had the chance. This time, Ma'ri was there with him.

[She still hasn't regained consciousness? Tay'jay asked in Taelon, taking a seat next to her.

[It's probably because of the sedatives this time, Ma'ri said. [The doctors say that she has sustained no damage to her psyche.

Tay'jay blushed, an action that left Ma'ri consternated. She had not seen Tay'jay do something like that for a long time, not since he lost Ar'ron.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over this," Ma'ri said.

"I was just talking to Nu'na," Tay'jay said solemnly. "She wasn't that bad a person, you know. She…She just wanted to do something big with her life."

[Nu'na had a lot of problems, Ma'ri said. [I know you feel like you owed Nu'na something, but you didn't owe her anything. It's not your fault her father turned against you and left her in your hands.

[She was right about me, Tay'jay said. [I have lost my edge.

Ma'ri shook her head.

I'm not even close to the leader I used to be," Tay'jay reflected. "I had just promised her that when this was all over, things would go back to the way they used to be. No more human junk holding me back. A few months ago, I would've found out who did this in one day. I would've personally found the bastards in two days, and they'd be dead the very next day."

"I'm starting to think that maybe humanity's not as bad as I thought," Ma'ri admitted. "I mean they have their problems, and we complain about them nonstop, but at the end of the day, they're just like us. They may not be in the same boat, but they're in one real close. Maybe helping them out isn't such a bad thing. It's not their fault the Taelons don't give a damn about them."

[It makes no difference. The Ring's been suffering ever since I joined my sister. Sometimes I wonder what I was trying to accomplish in the first place.

[You can't blame yourself for wanting to be a part of something bigger than the Ring. You joined for the same reason that the Espelons and I joined. We saw a chance to end this worthless war once and for all. We saw a chance to live in peace for once, to be something more than Lost Ones. And while I may still doubt the method to this madness, I trust you and I trust Da'an.

"You know that time on the mountain when Da'an went through the gateway, Ma'el spoke to me. He said that I was meant for something great, and the only thing that's been getting me through all of this is my faith that everything I do is helping me towards that goal."

"You said it yourself," Ma'ri said. "Part of being a leader is doing sha'bra we don't like doing. You just have to keep having faith in yourself. Nu'na lost her faith. That's why she got blowed up."

Tay'jay's eyes widened with shock at Ma'ri's words. Then, they became even wider when he realized that Ma'ri's words had actually shocked him. Just a few weeks ago, he would have been laughing with her. Now, he realized how serious he was becoming and how deeply involved in this struggle he really was. "Whatever. [I got myself involved in this mess. I might as well see it through to the end."

"[Change doesn't necessarily make you weak, Ma'ri said, rising to leave Tay'jay alone with his thoughts[and it doesn't hurt to have a humbling moment every now and then. That's how I take this."

She placed her hand over Tay'jay's shoulder. "You should try it. You'll feel much better that way."

When Ma'ri left, Tay'jay's eyes dwelled on Ta'lay. He was well aware of the criticism he received for pursuing Ta'lay. In their eyes, he was just a victim of his lecherous nature. Perhaps it _had_ started out that way. However, the longer he worked with Ta'lay the more he found that she meant more to him than some romantic fling. She was someone special, and he did not want to lose her. He had not been so sensitive about someone for a long time, not since his childhood days with his siblings and his friendship with Ar'ron. He extended his hand and let it rest on Ta'lay's. Then, he reflected on the kiss the two had shared a few weeks ago. He wondered if she thought about it as much as he did.

Tay'jay suddenly felt a feeble squeeze. He looked up and saw that Ta'lay was finally regaining consciousness. As her eyes fluttered open, she slowly regained her façade and tried to sit up.

"You don't always need to turn on the façade," Tay'jay said.

Ta'lay looked up at him quizzically, and then she shook her head. "Then why is yours active?"

"Touché," Tay'jay said dropping his own façade. She followed suit.

"What happened?" Ta'lay asked wearily. "I remember seeing this blinding flash, and then something hit me."

"There was an explosion," Tay'jay explained. "That bump you felt was excess debris lodging itself into your head just before we were thrown at least 50 feet. You barely survived."

"That would explain why you have suddenly taken a bedside vigil," Ta'lay said. "What about you?"

"I was the one that got you out of the storm."

"What about Nu'na and her team?"

Tay'jay rolled his eyes, not in sarcasm but rather in ignominy. "They didn't make it. As near as we can tell, they were incinerated. And the equipment's missing."

Ta'lay sighed. "I cannot believe it. I had just spoken with Nu'na. She was such a vibrant spirit. I wish I could have taken the time to know her better. Are there any leads as to who caused the explosion?"

"Whatever evidence we could have used to trace the attackers was incinerated with everything else that wasn't protected," Tay'jay said. "I have a feeling that whomever it was had something to do with the priests."

"What about the Jaridians?" Ta'lay asked. "We cannot rule them out just yet."

"Until we investigate further, I haven't ruled anyone out," Tay'jay said.

Ta'lay examined Tay'jay's features. "You are taking this rather difficultly."

"It just feels like such a waste," Tay'jay said. "I'd known Nu'na and those guys since they were kids. I especially knew Nu'na. She had a rough childhood. She was dropped into my hands without a friend in the world."

"So she has no family?"

"Who knows? There were people who took care of her, but they really weren't her family. There are lots of children like Nu'na out there in the Ring. Parents and relatives die, children get separated—it's one of the unfortunate side effects of moving around so much."

"I cannot understand such a life. I was raised among a group of communal Taelons. In our community, not just the parents were responsible for the child. The entire community took it upon itself to raise the children."

"If only we had the time and the circumstances for such a life. Most Espelons don't stay long enough in one place to help raise children. It's all on the parents, and if the parents are gone…"

"Why did you take in Nu'na?"

"I don't like to talk about that," Tay'jay said, turning his head.

"Why not?"

"Because I promised him I wouldn't."

"But Nu'na is dead. It hardly seems relevant—"

"Look, everyone has those things that they really need to keep to themselves. This is one of them."

"Then, I will drop the subject. I am sorry."

"It's okay. Nu'na's childhood made her tough. Her telepathic powers made her cruel. Kids made fun of Nu'na as a child. Called her an orphan, things like that. Nu'na used her telepathy to get back at them. She'd read people's minds looking for mistakes they made and she'd exploit them in front of everyone. I guess it was her way of getting revenge. But it also had the effect of making her Draconian in nature. She had no patience with people. Everyone was selfish. Everyone was a criminal in Nu'na's eyes."

"So I gathered," Ta'lay said. "But if Nu'na was so intolerant of people, why did she like you so much?"

"Even rebels need a cause. Nu'na wanted to command, to be an enforcer. With some tweaking, she probably would've made a great commander, but I wanted to wait until she was older. Plus, he had a soft spot that would surface every now and then. Nu'na made it a habit not to let people see it. She saved that for people who were worthy. Who knows why she found me and Da'an worthy of that honor."

"Perhaps in some bizarre method Nu'na saw a bit of herself in you two."

"I just think Nu'na was a purist," Tay'jay said. "Is it wrong that I'm the only one who really misses her?"

Ta'lay pondered this. She had to admit that it was difficult for her to pity. In fact, Ta'lay pitied Tay'jay more than she pitied Nu'na.

"I think that…people like Nu'na should be mourned for the loss of who they could have been rather than who they were. I believe that is why you mourn her so, and I am sure that eventually we will follow suit. Besides, you are not the type of man who cares what other people do. You mourn Nu'na on your own, and you are a good man for doing so."

"You really know how to make a man feel worthwhile, don't you?" Tay'jay asked with a grin.

"Well…" Ta'lay blushed.

"Admit it. You're smitten with me," Tay'jay teased. "Can't say I blame you."

"You are such a scoundrel sometimes."

"Suddenly I'm feeling déjà vu, and I remember how this conversation ended the last time."

"Which part? The part before or after I hit you?"

"You wish you got that far," Tay'jay said, grabbing her hand the same way he had done to stop her from slapping him the last time.

"You stayed by my side because you knew that it would flatter me," Ta'lay teased, "flatter me enough to pick up where we left off."

"Ta'lay! Frankly, I'm offended," Tay'jay played along. "You said it yourself. I am a gentleman."

"Being a good man and a gentleman are two very different things."

"Okay then. How do I go about becoming a gentleman?" Tay'jay asked, leaning closer to Ta'lay's lips.

"Definitely not like this," Ta'lay replied seductively. "But in this case, I'll cherish the intent rather than the circumstance."

She let him bring his lips to hers and caress her back. Then, Tay'jay let her do something he had never let anyone ever do to him. He let her share with him.

* * *

Before they had left to meet Liam for lunch, Link decided to go on an early morning errand. While Da'an and Ariel were still sleeping, Link quietly tiptoed out of the loft and headed straight for the address in his pocket. The morning was bitterly cold, so cold that Link wondered about his tear ducts freezing over.

Eventually, he came to an area downtown by a skyscraper for an energy company. Behind it was a parking garage and a hotel. Link rushed through the parking garage and into the lobby of the hotel relieved to be out of the cold. He defrosted by making his way to her room on the sixteenth floor.

Ignoring the "Do Not Disturb" sign, Link knocked on the door and then quietly called the code name "Black Velvet." The door flew open, and revealed Black Velvet in a black hair wrap and wearing a white cotton robe with black pajama pants underneath. She dragged him inside.

"Are you insane?" she exclaimed.

"Christine, I know it's early, but this cannot wait," Link said urgently.

He did not get to finish his argument. Christine slapped him across the face.

It took Link a few moments to overcome the surprise and the force of her attack, but it was enough to tell him that somehow she had found out about Da'an. Still, he could not admit to it just yet.

"Okay, what's wrong," Link asked, "because this is definitely not about me coming in the wee hours of the morning."

"Don't pull that oblivious bullshit on me," Christine said firmly. "You know damn well what this is about. After all, isn't that why you're here?"

"No. I'm here to tell you that I've made a break in the Urick case," Link said. "What's going on?"

"I warned you not to get involved with a resistance member," Christine said. "Why the hell do you think Paula got transferred to the Cloister? She got too close to that damn Palmer woman and too enthralled by that resistance banter. You know, I could even understand Paula. I'd been telling Jonah from the beginning that she was too damn emotional about Taelon politics to handle it. But you? What the hell is wrong with you? And with her for God sakes? Have you lost your mind?"

"How long have you known about this?" Link asked.

"You're not the only agent I've got handling the resistance case, remember? You're just the only one that's managed to get close enough to Urick. They all know about this little makeshift family you've set up with Da'an."

"It's not what you think, Christine," Link said. "It's all just a part of the job."

"Having an intimate relationship with an alien and her half-breed daughter is part of the job?" Christine asked skeptically.

"Ariel's got the DNA of three different species, not two. That makes her a mutt, not a half-breed. If you're gonna slander her, the least you can do for me is slander her right."

"Don't joke about this," Christine urged, shaking her head in dread.

_I wasn't,_ Link thought to himself but dared not say for his family's protection.

"This is serious. Alex," Christine said, tearing the hair wrap off her head. "I have to remove you for this."

"You can't do that."

"Count yourself lucky that I'm not killing you."

"Don't feed me that 'shoot first, ask questions later' CIA protection motto bullshit. I'm too valuable to this case, and you know it. I'm too close," Link said. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I've made a breakthrough. Urick's hired me to be a secret service agent."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Are you listening to me?" Link sighed with frustration and frenetically removed his coat. He sat down on the white sofa trying to think of some way to explain this to Christine that would not result in his removal from the case. He could tell that Christine was also waiting for an explanation. The befuddled stare in her eyes was practically begging him for an explanation she could tolerate, and the truth most definitely did not fall under that category. Link felt his stomach grow queasy as the lie escaped from his mouth. "The relationship is a sham."

"Really?" Christine asked skeptically.

"Christine. Da'an's a freakin' alien. Of course it's a sham."

"Oh, and it has nothing to do with your enhancements?"

"That was what got me close to her. She sensed the Taelon energy within me, so I…I used it to seduce her. I knew that there was no way that I could get to Urick unless I did it through those closest to him, and Da'an's as close as they get. She's their best-kept secret, their ace in the hole. They can't say it on record, but she's practically his second in command. How do you think I was able to get all of this intimate information that none of the other agents could?"

"And what about the kid?"

"Even Da'an didn't want her in the first place," Link scoffed, examining Christine's features to make sure she could not see through his charade. Her slower breathing indicated that she was buying the lie, but through that intense glare in her eyes, Link could tell skepticism remained. However, Christine probably did not want to hear the truth from him. She was looking for a reason to keep him on the case, and Link was giving it to her. The truth was nothing but a liability. "But eventually Da'an grew to love her, so I had no choice but to let her keep the kid. It actually worked out well. She's a great distraction for Da'an. Without the kid, Da'an probably would have seen through my cover."

"Is there any indication that Da'an might be involved in this plot?"

"No. She and Urick can't stand each other. In fact, I think the entire reason for the plot is to get rid of Da'an," Link said. "I think he's gonna use this to expose Da'an to the public again and then blame the entire incident on her. That's why he hired me to join the secret service. He's using me to cover all the evidence on him and then put it on Da'an."

"Then, Urick is really behind the threat on the Synod coronation?" Christine asked.

"I can't say for sure because he hasn't told me anything directly," Link said. "When he speaks to me, it's all in code. It's…It's like I'm his bird. He leaves the trail of breadcrumbs, and I'm the one who picks them up."

"Breadcrumbs, but not the bread," Christine concluded. "If this is true, he's going to separate you from Da'an soon. What about the companion protector?"

"He's being promoted," Link said. "He's the Leader of the Synod's protector now."

"No wonder you came to me. You've gotten yourself in some pretty thick mud."

"Urick will never confess to me directly. He'll leave evidence, but you know just as well as I do that it'll never be enough to convict him unless I can get a confession or catch him in the act. Since the confession's pretty much out of the question, I've gotta rely on the latter. And I can't do that without you."

"I should tell you that Jonah's ruling out Urick as a suspect," Christine said. "The Pentagon found a tape. They're saying that a Middle Eastern terrorist cell confessed on this video of being behind the threat. Jonah's launching an operation right now to arrest the suspects."

"Well, if they've found the ones behind the plot…?"

"Why haven't I re-assigned you, right?" Christine finished. "Because after what you've told me, I'm not quite ready to rule out Urick yet. I think that Urick's using this Middle Eastern organization as either a pawn or a scapegoat. If we do arrest them, we'll just be relieving the symptoms, not curing the disease. You said it yourself. You're one of our best agents to date, and I'd trust you long before I'd trust Jonah. But I have to admit, your relationship with Da'an really scared me."

Link took Christine hand. "There's only one woman who's come close to stealing my heart."

Christine chuckled. "I probably would've had it too, but I'm too much like you. I'm the job."

"It's the only way to be in this business," Link said. "If you can assemble a team for me, I'll do the rest. But…"

"What are you thinking about?"

"There is one other alternative."

Christine shook her head. "Don't forget that we were watching Urick long before this terror threat. There's a reason for that. Jonah wants Urick alive. Those are our orders. We adhere to them."

"And what happens if we don't stop him in time? What happens if we fail?"

"Then I guess a lot of people die. But let me ask you this, Alex? Say that we did arrest Urick and your psychological profile of the man rings true. What if by some unforeseen circumstance, Urick still manages to carry out his plans? Would you feel as bad since fate's taken your burden out of your hands?"

"I don't know."

"The little problem with trying to see the future is that anything and all can and will happen. People die in this world whether we're right or wrong. You just make the decision, do what you can, and let God sort out the rest."

Link was unconvinced, but he feigned a smile and nodded in agreement with Christine. Perhaps he could not stop the tragedy, but at least he could do his damnedest to try. Whether or not Da'an's predictions were correct, he had to try. It was all that a human in his position could do. So he emptied the remainder of the information he had come to deliver into Christine's hands, hugged her and left for his apartment, all the while with a rekindled respect for both Da'an and Ma'el and all the trials they had endured to learn to wield that piece of the divine.

* * *

The frost from the November snow storms had long since melted away, but the forecasters predicted a recurrence of snow just in time for Christmas week. Augur had finally received information about Tay'jay and Ta'lay's status, and he was on his way Link's loft to relay that information to Da'an. Even though the sun had not yet risen, it was an unusually warm December day, so warm that Augur could actually smell fresh dew. He even saw new patches of green grass and a few beds of sprouting buds outside of St. Michael's and by the park he passed on his way to the loft. The day felt more like spring than winter.

When Augur knocked on the door, to his surprise, Mi'en was the one who answered.

"Where's Link?" Augur asked.

"Abroad," Mi'en answered, "with Urick. Come in. Ariel and I have been up all night playing a game."

"Uncle Augur!" Ariel cried happily.

"How you doin', kiddo?" Augur asked.

"Mi'en's cheating at Scrabble," Ariel complained. "She keeps making up words."

"For the last time, Ariel, 'maharajah' is a word!" Mi'en shot back.

"Oh yeah? What about _yitnai_?" Ariel asked. "I've never heard that word before."

"It's a Taelon phrase," Mi'en defended. "It is a form of killing by proxy."

"It's not in the dictionary, so you can't use it," Ariel argued.

"The rules of Scrabble say that if it's not recognized in the dictionary you have in play, it can't be used," Augur mediated.

"I told you!" Ariel yelled.

"All right. All right," Mi'en gave in stingily. "Fine. Lousy games based solely on the English language."

"Blame the people at Milton Bradley, not me," Augur said.

"Whatever," Mi'en said, glaring at Ariel. "Ariel's just as big a cheater as I am anyway. She keeps trying to look at my letters." Before Ariel could respond, Mi'en jerked back to Augur and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"Anything you have with caffeine would be great," Augur said.

Augur took a seat on the couch while Ariel removed Mi'en's word "_yitnai_" from the board. By the window was a small Christmas tree decorated with lights, red and blue ornaments, and silver ribbons. Atop was a silver star, and underneath were presents.

"Nice tree," Augur commented to Ariel.

"Thank you," Ariel said. "Daddy had to beg Mommy to let him buy it."

"Speaking of your mommy, where is she?" Augur asked. "I need to talk to her."

"Mommy's sick," Ariel said. "She's laying down."

"Da'an's not sick," Mi'en corrected, handing Augur a can of cola. "She just hasn't been feeling well. It's hardly the same thing. And if you are here to tell her about Tay'jay and Ta'lay, we're way ahead of you."

"She knows about them already?" Augur asked.

"What do you think Da'an and I have been doing for the past few weeks?" Mi'en asked. "Da'an couldn't wait. She wanted to see that Tay'jay and Ta'lay were all right for herself, and then we stayed behind to help investigate the explosion."

"Then, I guess her not feeling well is some kind of space version of jetlag or something?" Augur asked.

"I don't think so. Her symptoms started at one of the colonies," Mi'en said. "The _lu'yoi_ there insisted there was nothing wrong with her, and Dr. Curzon cannot find anything either. Curzon said she should take some time to relax. Since Link's working for Urick now, he asked me to remain with Da'an to make sure she does just that. By the way, Tay'jay's people have completed their analysis of the remains."

"So it's true then?" Augur asked. "It's really sabotage?"

"That's exactly what it is," Mi'en confirmed. "It had been reduced to dust, but Da'an found the remains of a portable, meaning that someone planted the bomb and portalled just before it exploded."

"So I guess Tay'jay and the Espelons are trying to figure out where they may have portalled," Augur surmised. "If they can figure that out, they'll know who was behind the sabotage."

"Correct," Mi'en said. "That was when Da'an started feeling sick and asked me to take her back to Earth."

"Why would Da'an fly all the way back to Earth just because she feels sick?" Augur asked skeptically. "There are plenty of Taelon and Espelon doctors there, right?"

"Frankly, I think she was using that as a cover," Mi'en said. "When I ask Da'an questions, she usually answers them consistently. However, whenever I asked why she wanted me to take her back to Earth, she kept changing her answer. I think she knows more about the explosion than she's letting on."

"Was there anything consistent in her answers?"

"Not really," Mi'en said.

"Something stinks about this whole situation," Augur said, getting closer to Mi'en so that Ariel would not hear, "and I hate to admit it, but all the signs point to Da'an."

Mi'en darted an outraged look at Augur. She told Ariel to go see about Da'an and give her and Augur some time to talk alone. Ariel followed Mi'en's orders, but Da'an was hunched over on the bed asleep. Ariel chose not to disturb her mother. Instead, she kept the bedroom door open a crack and listened attentively.

"Are you insane?" Mi'en continued once Ariel was gone. "You believe Da'an is behind all of this?"

"I don't like thinking it either, but Da'an's behavior throughout this whole ordeal has been strange," Augur said. "It's just like Hubble. She travels to God-knows-where and won't tell anyone what she's doing. She's hiding things from everybody, and she has these 'feelings' she can't explain. And what abut this whole thing with Urick? Da'an keeps demanding that we tag Urick, we follow his trail, and prepare any information we can use against him."

"But Da'an's not the only one who suspects him," Mi'en said. "Link is following him too."

"Yeah, Link—Da'an's lover, Link," Augur said. "Look, I didn't want to tell anyone about this, but I think that Link helped sabotage Liam so that he could take Liam's job."

"That doesn't make any sense," Mi'en said. "Rembrandt has nothing against Liam."

"Yes, but he was the one who told me and Street how to salvage Renee's reputation. He went all out to help Renee, but he did nothing for Liam," Augur said. "He's gained Urick's trust in ways that Da'an could never do. What if Da'an's using him as an informant or a mole to set Urick up?"

"I will admit that it is strange that Da'an and Link will not discuss their activities with us, but what you are suggesting is ludicrous," Mi'en dismissed. "Even if Da'an is planning something involving Urick, what does Tay'jay have to do with it? Why would she try to kill her own brother?"

"Maybe she wasn't trying to kill him," Augur said. "Maybe it was an accident. Maybe she didn't mean for Tay'jay to get hurt. Tell me this. When Da'an met with Tay'jay, did you hear them talk?"

"No, they spoke alone, but they are family," Mi'en said. "They talk alone all the time."

"Okay, what about Tay'jay's Espelons?"

"What about them?"

"You don't think it's a little too convenient that they picked now to disappear instead of months before?" Augur asked. "And what about all these problems with the Ring Tay'jay alleges are occurring? So far the only problem I've heard about is this one explosion."

"You would not need to hear about the other problems. The Ring is a huge smuggling network that spans galaxies. There is no way that you could possibly know everything that goes on, and Tay'jay has no obligation to tell you anything about its affairs."

"Look, when I was on the Mothership, I planted a worm in the data tracks. Da'an's been coming to the lair to analyze and decode the files, but she won't tell me anything about them."

"Why would Da'an need you to hack into the Mothership's data tracks? She was a member of the Synod. She could have accessed those files anytime she wanted. She probably helped create most of those files."

"Exactly! So why would Da'an need me to do it for her?"

"But you didn't do it for her. You did it of your own accord because you thought it would be of some help to her," Mi'en said with frustration.

"Tay'jay put me up to it," Augur explained. "He kind of suggested that I do that while I was there by playing into my curiosities. He knew that I would be eager to find out more about the priests' money scam. And until Da'an took over, that's just what I was doing. I was programming my computers to translate the data and find documents proving the priests were pirating money. Then, Da'an got wind of what I was doing and told me to let her take care of it."

"Why are you telling me this?" Mi'en asked in disbelief. "What do you want from me?"

"I'm not close enough to Da'an to find out what's really going on, and you're the only person who is close enough that I do trust," Augur said. "Da'an's behavior has been all over the place ever since she got Ma'el's powers. I know that Da'an snuck to the Moonbase when she wasn't supposed to. That's how she got caught up in all that business with Zo'or. What was she doing in between the time she snuck into the Moonbase and when she went to you to warn you about what Sandoval and Zo'or were planning? What if she was talking to the high priest himself? What if she's been working with him, and she's using her powers as some sort of communication network between her and the high priest? Why does she want me to build this communication network? Why will she let certain people in on her agenda, but not others?"

"You are losing your mind," Mi'en said harshly. "You used this same banter to manipulate me into being your pansy when we were on that mountain. I won't let you do it again."

"Mi'en, what if Da'an's planning something terrible? What if she's using us all to set Urick up to get him out of the way just like Link set up Liam to get him out of the way? Her plan's already gotten Tay'jay hurt. What if she kills somebody? She's had to live with the guilt of being responsible for all of these ruined lives when she was the North American Companion and God knows what else before she came to Earth when she was the high priest's enforcer. Do you really want to stand by and see her do something she'll regret all over again? Do you want to be a part of that?"

Mi'en blushed frantically. She wanted to have faith in Da'an, but Augur's words had shaken that faith. She could not deny that Da'an was keeping secrets from many of her closest friends. Lately Da'an's behavior had been strange.

"Maybe it's nothing, Mi'en, but don't you want to be sure?" Augur asked. "Just talk to Da'an. See if you can get a feel for what's going on. Satisfy my curiosity and ease my worry, okay? If I find out that it's really nothing, I promise I'll back off."

"I…I can't," Mi'en said fretfully. "I trust Da'an. She would not betray us."

"Liam used to say the same thing. Look where it's gotten him."

"No. That was in the past. She's changed."

"The more things change the more things stay the same."

Thoughts of Nye's words returned to Mi'en. _"Once the metamorphosis is complete, it will be Da'an's decision to keep the worldly bonds to which she has tied herself." _What had Nye meant by "metamorphosis"? Ma'el's powers _had_ distanced Da'an in a way that Mi'en did not like. _"You have placed yourself in a very difficult position. I would rather not see one such as you, who has already endured so much hardship, suffer another fatal blow." _Had Nye been trying to warn Mi'en? At first, she had interpreted Nye's words as caution against getting too attached to Da'an. However, Augur had somehow convinced her that there might have been more to those words. Had Nye sensed something ominous lingering within Da'an from which she wanted Mi'en to stay away? T'than had already betrayed Mi'en. What if Nye predicted that Da'an would do the same? Mi'en's mind swarmed with paranoid thoughts until the sharp sounds of a woman's screams interrupted her.

Augur and Mi'en leapt from the couch and ran to Da'an's room. They found Ariel staring in shock at a curled up ball of blue light in the middle of the bed. A stiff and blue hand clawed for the edge of the bed, and it did not take Mi'en and Augur long to figure out that the blue light was Da'an enduring something excruciating.

"Da'an!" Augur cried in terror. He tried to assist her, but the intense heat emanating from her body was too much for him.

The light became brighter and whiter until it engulfed the entire room and the three were forced to leave. They felt the room vibrate and heard the sounds of loose objects shattering. Augur was afraid that the entire complex was going to burst into flames and scrambled to find his global to call someone, anyone that could assist him.

The blinding light had mystified Ariel. She overcame her fear and ran back into the bedroom. Mi'en had tried to stop her, but Ariel had run away too quickly.

Suddenly, just as Mi'en was making a mad dash for Ariel, the light faded away, and the vibrating subsided. Augur dropped his global and raced back inside. He and Mi'en found Ariel holding the hand of a nude white woman with red hair that extended down to her knees. Ariel whispered for the weary lady to open her eyes. When the woman looked up, Mi'en and Augur, expecting to find Da'an, instead found a fair-faced youth who had to be in her late teens or early twenties.

"Mommy?" Ariel asked quizzically.

The girl groaned in a voice unscathed by the effects of age.

"Good God!" a flabbergasted Augur exclaimed.

Mi'en rummaged through the closet and found a sky blue cotton bathrobe. She yanked it from its hanger and flung it around the girl.

"What happened to me?" the girl asked wearily, securing herself in the robe. As soon as her blurry vision cleared, she found Augur, Mi'en, and Ariel staring blankly back at her. "What is it? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

Ariel ran to the bathroom and found a compact mirror. She ran back and opened it revealing to the girl her own reflection. The girl's mouth dropped open. "Well…this is quite interesting, isn't it?"

"You_are_ Mommy!" Ariel exclaimed leaping into the girl's arms. "I knew it was you!"

Mi'en gazed deeply into those brilliant cerulean eyes until she found what she had been looking for: that wisdom and that regality only found in an Amo'qui. She breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Augur needed more convincing. "Da'an? Is that really you?"

"No, Mr. Devereaux," the girl said sarcastically. "Da'an is dead. I am merely the Angel of Death come in the shape of your former high school girlfriend to offer to you my condolences."

Augur rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're Da'an all right."

Mi'en and Ariel laughed.

"And for the record, my former high school girlfriend was Asian," Augur said.

"Maybe the one you remember was," Da'an said cynically. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I just came to update you on Tay'jay's situation, but from what Mi'en tells me, you beat me to it," Augur said.

"Mommy, you had a growth spurt like me, so now we have to celebrate," Ariel said.

"Uh, maybe later," Da'an said nervously.

Suddenly, the sounds of persistent knocking and alerted voices echoed from the front of the loft.

"You expecting anyone else?" Augur asked Da'an.

"I think it's the neighbors," Da'an said in an alarmed tone.

"Yes, it's not every day when you feel the apartment shake, see a brilliant white light, and hear objects breaking," Mi'en said.

"What'll we tell them?" Ariel asked.

"We could just leave 'em like that," Augur said. "Maybe they'll go away."

"Are you kidding?" Da'an asked. "If anything they've already called the authorities."

"Well, we have to tell them something," Augur said.

Da'an sighed. "All right. I have an idea. Mi'en, Ariel, you two stay here. Augur, go out there and talk to them."

"And say what?"

"I don't know!" Da'an said frantically searching for some clothing. "Just keep them distracted."

Augur sighed with frustration and opened the door to find at least 20 people that ran the gambit in age and dress staring at him with concerned looks.

"Uh, is there a problem?"

"We heard shouting and a lot of noise, and we just wanted to see if everything was okay," a girl dressed in art deco-style clothing said.

"I saw a flash of light," an elderly man added. "Looked and sounded like a bomb went off or something. And for that matter, who are you? I ain't never seen you come out of here. It's always that nice young man and his wife and daughter."

"I'm a…friend of the family."

"Excuse me," Da'an said, pulling Augur back inside. She was wearing a black pair of pants, a dark blue, long-sleeved polo shirt, the collar of which she was still straightening, and black shoes. "What can I do for you?"

"Who are you ma'am?" the elderly man asked in a suspicious tone. "You another 'friend of the family'?"

"Calm down sir," Da'an said. "Everything is perfectly fine. Those sounds you heard were from the television. My friend here was repairing it, and one of the circuits sparked. That was the flash you are probably wondering about."

Da'an's eyes were wide and focused the whole time she had spoken.

"What about the ground? We felt the whole apartment shake," the elderly man protested.

There was a series of murmurs in agreement with the old man.

Suddenly, an elderly woman who had to be the elderly man's wife jerked into attention.

"Now, Harry, I'm sure that everything's fine. The mother was probably just playing with her daughter. You know how reckless children at that age can be," she said.

"Then, where are the mother and the daughter?" Harry asked. "And where's the husband?"

"Old man, what are you talking about?" a young Hispanic boy asked. "That_is_ the mother. I'd recognize her anywhere."

"But what about the shaking?" Harry asked.

"I can't believe we got ourselves all worked up over this," the art deco girl said. "Let's go. You're probably just remodeling. Sorry to disturb you."

"Have you people lost your mind?" Harry asked in disbelief. "There was a huge white flash of light! The ground was shaking!"

"Harry, stop it!" his wife said sharply. "That's my Harry for you. Always making up stories. Merry Christmas dear."

"Merry Christmas to you too ma'am," Da'an said politely.

"Now, don't be a stranger, you hear?" the elderly wife said. "My husband and I just love having company over for Christmas."

"We will keep you in our thoughts," Da'an said with a nod.

"Uh, yeah," Augur said uneasily to the departing group. "Have I nice day!"

When the neighbors had returned to their respective rooms, Da'an closed the door.

"That was amazing!" Augur exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

"People come up with all kinds of explanations when they see or hear things they cannot understand," Da'an shrugged. "I merely gave them all a subtle push towards the most logical one in their minds."

"Mmm-hmm, and the old man?" Augur asked.

"I realized his personality from the moment I spoke to him," Da'an said. "If I had made him as dismissive as the others, his wife would have suspected something later. Besides, I just don't like the man."

"Yeah, well. I'm just gonna be on my way right now," Augur said nervously.

"Wait!" Mi'en called. "I'll walk you out."

Mi'en followed Augur to the door as Da'an returned to the bedroom to check on Ariel.

"I believe we should keep this information to ourselves at the moment," Mi'en said to Augur.

"This_is_ the kind of thing you really need to see to believe," Augur agreed.

Mi'en cringed at what she was about to say next. "I do not believe there is pertinent reason to suspect Da'an. However, I must admit that your words have left me…shaken. So…I'll talk to her. But I'm only doing this to be certain."

"Thanks, Mi'en," Augur said. "And be careful."

Mi'en nodded, and Augur quickly walked to the stairs. He had never seen Da'an use her powers to control minds before. Now he was hoping and praying that his suspicions of Da'an were baseless. He needed to be sure that Da'an had not been using him the same way she had used those neighbors, and Mi'en was the only way he could find out without rousing Da'an's suspicions. Whatever was going on, Augur knew he had to be very careful. Considering how powerful Da'an was now, the last thing he wanted was to be on her bad side.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Liam had done more work in three weeks than he had done in two years as Da'an's protector. Almost everyday, he found himself either portalling or flying via shuttle from country to country to manage the preparations for the coronation ceremony. He was pretty sure this amount of interdimensional travel was not healthy. He had little to no sleep, and constantly flying through different time zones had robbed him of all concept of night and day. The closer he got to coronation day, the harder work became. It did not help in the least that the Synod kept pushing back its day to meet with Liam.

However, meeting with the Synod was one problem that was about to be dissipated. During his stay in Rome, Liam received an encrypted message ordering him and Proctor to return to the Mothership. Behaving more like a somnambulist, Liam performed his morning routines (morning by the alarm clock's standards anyway), squeezed into a suit and tie, and met an equally exhausted Proctor at a shuttle that was waiting for them. The boy was carrying a metallic blue colored bottle with two plastic cups.

"You awake?" Proctor asked him.

"Do I look awake?" Liam asked back.

"Good, me neither," Proctor sighed.

"Remember when I told you that if I ever started wishing I were implanted, it was time to commit me?" Liam asked him.

Proctor nodded.

"I'm getting there," Liam said groggily.

"Well, I have something that may help us out a little bit," Proctor said.

"It'd better not be drugs," Liam warned. "A friend of mine tried drugs. Things got way too real."

"Trust me. It's not drugs," Proctor promised. "I just got it yesterday when we were in DC. Jerry gave it to me."

"That punk that replaced me?" Liam asked.

"The very same," Proctor said. "It's a brand new co-venture the Taelons are releasing with Coca-Cola. It's not even on the market yet. I figured you and I could test it out together."

Under normal circumstances, Liam would have passed or at least inquired about what he was drinking. However, he had worked with Proctor long enough to know the kid would never pull a fast one, and he was too tired to get in an argument. Therefore, he took one of the plastic cups. When Proctor opened the cap, there was a loud hiss, indicating to Liam that whatever he was about to drink was some kind of soda. In confirmation, a bubbly dark brown liquid poured from the bottle and into his and Proctor's cups. The two toasted to nothing and drank a meek sip.

At first, the drink tasted like ordinary cola, but after Liam sipped a little more, he found a strange bitter aftertaste. "What is it?"

"Basically, it's Taelon-style cola," Proctor explained. "Apparently, it's the latest innovation in the energy drink franchise. Coca Cola's supposed to release it worldwide next month, but since Jerry's a companion protector and it's a Taelon-human co-venture, he sweet-talked the execs into giving him first dibs. He's been handing this stuff out to all his co-workers."

Liam could see why Jerry would want to share the wealth with his friends. Already, Liam could feel his body becoming more alert. The heaviness in his eyes had lifted, and the stiffness in his joints was gone. "Man, this stuff is powerful."

"No kidding," Proctor said, gulping down the rest of the cola.

Liam did the same and crumbled the plastic cup. "No more. I'm gonna get addicted to that stuff."

Proctor laughed and closed the bottle. He followed Liam into the shuttle and secured the bottle in the shuttle's cargo hold.

Proctor had a tendency to get rather chatty whenever he was nervous, and he immediately burst into a ramble of speculation on the personality of the new Synod leader. It was clear to Liam that Proctor had never had any firsthand contact with a Taelon. He was behaving like a boy in a Spielberg film. As he pummeled Liam with questions about his experience with Taelons, Liam could hear him quietly tapping away on the armrest. If only Proctor were nervous about meeting the new Synod leader for the same reason Liam was.

Liam wished that Proctor's jokes were enough to help lighten the foreboding mood surrounding the Mothership. Sadly, it was of no avail. In fact, the dark aura was worse this time. All Liam could think about were Da'an's last words to him.

When they reached the bridge, Proctor saw how nervous Liam was, and he was amused.

"You look more nervous than I do," he pointed out. "Don't tell me you're chickening out on me."

"No," Liam protested. "It's just…been a while since I've seen a new Taelon before. You go to the same ship and work with the same Taelons long enough, you think you've seen them all."

"Aw, whittle Whiam whooks a whittle scawred," Proctor teased in a babyish voice.

"Shut up."

"Don't worry, Liam, I'll hold your hand."

"Hey, straighten your tie," Liam said.

Proctor smirked and followed Liam's orders. The two scanned the bridge wondering from where the new Synod leader would enter.

Two volunteers entered from the corridor across Proctor and Liam. Behind them, an energy being wearing a long blue robe entered. The robe reminded Liam of the ones the Synod had worn on the day Nye arrived, the day it all started. Liam looked above and saw several more Taelons wearing the same robe walking atop the balcony. The Taelon stopped in front of Liam and dismissed the volunteers. When Liam watched Proctor, he could see that the kid was having trouble making out the Taelon's expressions. In fact, Proctor was having trouble understanding at whom the Taelon was looking.

"You must be my new protector," the Taelon said to Liam, giving him the Taelon greeting.

"Major Liam Kincaid at your service," Liam said politely taking the Taelon's hand. Immediately a façade formed.

The Taelon's eyes were a deep dark blue color, and he had strange markings on his hands and his forehead. Other than that, he looked no different from a regular Taelon. That was the strangest thing about it. Liam had remembered how uneasy he had felt around all the cleansed Taelons. Their drained personalities had always sent subtle chills down Liam's spine, but this Taelon reminded Liam of the Taelons from Zo'or's Synod. If there existed a concept of a normal Taelon, this one definitely fit. This Taelon had been marked, but he had not been cleansed, at least not recently.

"This is my partner…" Liam continued, leaving Proctor room to introduce himself. However Proctor was so star struck that it took two nudges just for the man to blink.

"Proctor!" he said in a squeaky voice. "Jacob Proctor. I'm Major Kincaid's partner and co-head of companion security."

"A pleasure to meet you," the Taelon said. "Forgive my late arrival, but the massacre of the old Synod was rather traumatic on companions on other colonies. The high priest thought it best that the Synod spend its time before the coronation consoling our brethren. You may call me Arumi."

"Is that the rest of the Synod behind you?" Proctor asked nervously pointing to the Taelons on the balcony.

"Correct," Arumi replied, "and they are looking forward to meeting their new protectors."

"I'm curious, Arumi. Have these Taelons ever seen Earth before?" Liam asked. "Were they a part of the original group that arrived?"

"No," Arumi said. "We are diplomats from all over the Taelon territories. Few diplomats were sent to Earth in the first place. Since the Synod itself was going to Earth, Quo'on did not see the need to bring us. The diplomats that survived that terrible tragedy were nowhere near qualified to be Synod members. However, I view my naïveté with humans as an advantage. I have been uncorrupted by Zo'or's callous leadership. This is a chance for both the humans and the Taelons to have a purely fresh start. I have heard so much about your species. I trust this will be an enlightening experience for us all."

"Well, you definitely talk like a diplomat, so that's a good start," Proctor joked.

Liam poked Proctor with his elbow.

"I sense that you are tense, Major," Arumi said. "You need not fear me. I know that I am not the kind of Taelon you are used to seeing, but I am a Taelon nonetheless. I have heard encouraging words about your relationship with the Taelons on Earth. Your special bond with Da'an was the envy of us all. His unexpected passing must have been difficult for you, and then to lose the rest of the Synod and your fellow co-workers so quickly afterwards must have exacerbated the devastation. Do not let their loss encumber you. Think of this as a revival of sorts, a chance to establish new relationships to ease the burden of loss."

"Thank you," Liam said, subserviently nodding his head.

"Now, perhaps we should discuss the coronation," Arumi said.

"Everything's in order and moving right on schedule," Proctor said.

"Yes, perhaps Agent Proctor and I can take you to the Vatican in Rome where you will be holding the coronation," Liam suggested. "The new protectors are there waiting for you, and I know they're anxious to meet their new companions."

"Excellent," Arumi said. He turned to the Taelons on the balcony and signaled for them to join him. "I can already tell that the stories about your skills were accurate, Major Kincaid. We shall be watching you with great interest."

The Taelons on the balcony departed. Perhaps Proctor could not yet make out their expressions, but Liam could. The whole time Arumi had spoken with Liam, all their eyes had been focused on him.

* * *

The turnout at the Flat Planet Christmas party staggered Renee. After everything that had happened with the elections, she had not expected many resistance members to show. Many had been disillusioned by the less than grand results of the congressional elections and the exposé on both Jonathan Doors and Liam. This had been one of the reasons Renee wanted to throw the party. It made her feel better knowing that she was not alone in her need to relax and let loose. However, the great turnout, the beautiful decorations, the fun music, and the delicious food neither catered to Renee's enjoyment nor stimulated her happiness. Therefore, while Augur, Street and her friends danced merrily, Renee parked herself into the loneliest corner she could find and slowly chewed on spoonfuls of almond, pistachio ice cream.

She eyed the plastic blue and silver snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and the strobe light that changed from blue, to green, to red, and finally to white. She watched the large crowd grooving on the dance floor to an old seventies song, and then her eyes drifted toward the bar that was bordered with fluffy white material to make it look more snowy.

The tables had green miniature Christmas trees centered in a small red plate of mints and matches. Over the doorway was mistletoe, and every couple that walked in had to kiss. The giant buffet table had every kind of meat known to man; four different kinds of cheeses; a humongous vegetable and fruit platter consisting of every vegetable and fruit Renee had heard of and then some with ranch and caramel dipping sauce; and a large assortment of meat sauces at the end.

There was a second buffet table with a red table cloth and a platter of bite-sized chocolate, cheesecake, and creamsickle cakes; an ice sculpture shaped like a Christmas tree with a cold bowl of pistachio, almond ice cream under it; decorated gingerbread, oatmeal, chocolate chip, and sugar cookies in the shapes of Santa Claus, a snowman and candy canes; and as the centerpiece, a giant decorative fountain with pumps for four different kinds of chocolate (white, dark, milk and mint chocolate) and a large bowl of strawberries that Street made sure was always filled. Forming a perimeter around the table was a long string of poinsettia leaves.

The contrast between Renee's traditional tastes and Augur and Street's modern spin was interesting, and Renee had received plenty of compliments on the décor. She wished that Da'an could have come to witness how she, Street and Augur had adapted her designs.

"This seat taken?" Link asked, interrupting Renee's train of thought.

"Does this mean that Da'an's changed her mind?" Renee asked.

"Uh…no," Link stuttered. "She's…still not herself, and I can only stay for a few minutes. I just came here to talk to you."

"About what?" Renee asked.

"Hubble's back in town for the Christmas holiday and to meet the new North American Companion with the rest of the president's staff," Link said.

"Yeah, I know," Renee said. "Some company officers and I are going too."

"Do you trust me, Renee?" Link asked, looking intensely into her eyes. "As a person, do you trust me?"

"Yes," Renee said as if the answer should be obvious.

"So if I were to ask you to do something, you would do it? Without asking any questions?"

"I…guess."

"You'll just give me a simple yes-or-no response for what I'm about to ask you."

"Rembrandt, what's the matter?"

"As you know, I was promoted by Urick the other day. Now I'm a part of the secret service."

Renee nodded, trying not to let her thoughts drift towards Liam as they often did these days.

"I can't tell you why, but I don't trust him. His mood has been strange, and he's been taking me to all these different countries under the guise that he's about to choose a successor for the ANA. The strange thing is that all the countries he's been to are countries with Taelon embassies. I can't say for sure in my position, but I think Hubble's about to do something drastic. I know that you two haven't said a lot to each other lately, but he still has a soft spot for you. He talks about you all the time, wonders how you're doing. I need you to go to him, Renee. Spend Christmas Day with him. Use it as an opportunity to make amends with him. Once you do that, see if you can get him to confess to his activity these past few months, and then relay the information to me."

"You want me to seduce Hubble and get him to confess to…what? Some kind of terrorist plot?" Renee asked wryly.

"If you don't have a problem wearing a wire…"

"Oh God!" Renee scoffed. "The answer is no, Rembrandt. I'm through being everyone's temptress one day and the Whore of Babylon the next."

"I know that ever since that whole business with Frit, your confidence was shaken. Believe me, I don't want to have to ask you to do this," Link negotiated, "but my agents and I are desperate. You are our last best option. Get him to confess so that I don't have to do my duty. You two may no longer be close, but I know you don't wanna see him get hurt. And I don't wanna put him in that position. You're the only one left that can save him, Renee. Save him from himself."

"Like the way you saved Da'an from herself?" Renee whispered solemnly.

Link winced. "Yes. Like that."

The way Link answered Renee amused her. She knew that she and Urick were nothing like Link and Da'an, even if Hubble believed it. Still, she could not deny the bond she had made with him, and she could not shake her worry of him getting hurt. Regardless of his ambitions and his egotism, to Renee, Urick was still a brilliant man, one that would be a most worthy asset to the cause if he could just set aside his prejudices. Now, Link was telling her that she was his last chance at redemption. Was this some sort of bizarre irony or a flawed form of poetic justice?

"I'll do it," Renee said. "I'll do the best I can."

"Thank you," Link said, "for trusting me. Here."

He handed her a tiny black microphone and showed her how to turn it on. She took it and gently placed it in her make up case.

"You can wear that anywhere on your body, and the feed will come in clean as a whistle," Link continued. "It has a tracking device attached to it that activates whenever you turn it on. I'm his secret service agent, so I'll be close to you in case something goes wrong. I'll know when you've turned it on. You don't need to worry about anything but keeping that thing out of sight. You're doing the right thing, Renee."

"Sure I am," Renee said unenthusiastically. "Rembrandt, what did you mean by your agents and you?"

Link caressed her hand one more time and rose. "You said you wouldn't ask questions. Don't." He dropped a small silver envelope on the table. "Urick's throwing an all-day bash with his friends tomorrow. That's your invitation. Come alone and get him alone."

The thought of playing the temptress again with Urick had made her nauseous enough, but not knowing why only made it worse. Renee dropped the spoon back into the sludge-like substance that was the remains of her ice cream. _This is as good a time as any to retire for the night._

Augur watched Link leave the party and then Renee leave just a few seconds afterwards. He would have followed them both to find out where they were going if Mi'en had not surprised him and shimmied with him off the dance floor.

"Have you talked to Da'an?" Augur asked her after disappearing with her to a quiet part of the café.

"I have," Mi'en said monotonously.

"And?"

"She told me everything," Mi'en said. "Everything, and she gave me permission to tell you."

"There's nothing to worry about?" Augur asked hopefully.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Mi'en said. "Hubble is going to kill someone, and he's going to frame Da'an for his crime. Da'an has seen this in a vision, and she and Link are working to stop him."

Augur's mouth dropped open. "Then, Da'an was right all along. Urick is the traitor. He's going to betray us all by blowing Da'an's secret wide open."

"Da'an says the best thing you can do for her is to continue your efforts to help her with your technological skills."

"Mi'en," Augur asked serious, grabbing her hand and looking dead on into her eyes, "is Da'an or Link going to kill Hubble?"

Mi'en placed her free hand on Auger's shoulder and smiled assuredly. "No."

Augur breathed a long sigh of relief. "That's all I needed to know."

"Good," Mi'en said.

"So…you didn't just come to the party to tell me this, did you?"

"Actually, I did," Mi'en said.

"Oh come on," Augur scoffed. "You know Mi'en, I've always wanted to talk to you about this attitude you have about yourself. You live in this little shell, and you don't try to make friends or socialize."

"I don't have many friends," Mi'en said. "It is an unfortunate symptom of my condition. But I don't worry. The few friends I do have are good to me, so what does it matter how many I have?"

"Do you like pool?" Augur asked.

"What's pool?"

"It's a game. Come on. When my dad and I wanted to sit down and have a man to man, we always did it playing pool or playing chess, and I have a pool table in the back."

"What about your party?"

"I'm sure Street can handle it. She'll find us eventually if something goes wrong, right?"

Mi'en smiled awkwardly. "Okay," she shrugged. "You can teach me how to play…pool, I suppose."

Augur nodded elatedly and ran with Mi'en to the pool table. Ever since Augur had heard the Espelons and Street discussing Mi'en's past, he had sympathized with the awkward alien. He would never admit it to anyone—not even Mi'en if he could manage it—but Mi'en's alienation from society reminded him of himself. He had grown up much like her: brilliant, but ostracized by society and undermined by family. Even though the reasons and the circumstances of such were vastly different, their personalities and their stories were very similar. He had to admit that it was a strange way to start a friendship, but at least the timing was appropriate. _My dad had always preached "peace on Earth and goodwill toward men" around Christmastime. __I had no idea "goodwill toward men" had such a broad area of interpretation. I'll say one thing. Even my dad wouldn't believe this one._

As Renee was unlocking the door to her car, she noticed that a dark-haired, blue-eyed teenaged girl wearing a white jacket and an ivory-colored cashmere winter cap on her head was staring at her. She did not have the appearance of a mugger, and those blue eyes were too familiar for Renee to simply climb into to car and leave. She had to confront the girl, so she locked the car and approached the girl, who was now fidgeting with her white wool gloves.

"Can I help you?" Renee asked the girl.

"Oh no. I'm just getting some air," the girl replied.

"Your eyes look familiar," Renee noted. "Are you an Espelon?"

"Possibly," the girl replied, pulling out a metal bottle and taking a sip. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like some?"

"No thanks," Renee said nervously. "I don't drink."

"Is that so?" the girl asked innocently. "Not even one little sip?"

"No."

"I just don't get the big deal. It's not like you were an alcoholic before, you know, someone who chugs them down like an Irish stock worker."

"Who do you think you are?"

"Just a lowly little Espelon girl who noticed you at the party," the girl replied with a shrug, "sitting alone, eating a bowl of ice cream, worrying about something. Considering that it's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, I was curious as to what you could possibly have to worry about." She poured some of the drink into the cap of the bottle and then let the liquid spill on to the pavement. "And I don't drink either. It's hot chocolate. I keep it in a metal case because it keeps my body warm when I pocket it. Still sure you don't want a sip? It's pretty cold out here." She shook the bottle to indicate that it was almost empty. "Last chance."

"You're toying with me," Renee realized. "Who are you? I've never seen you before."

"I gather you haven't seen many Espelons. So many journeyed with Tay'jay to Earth. It would be impossible to keep track of them all…if you were a human anyway," the girl said. "So, when are you due?"

Renee's mouth dropped, and she nervously wrapped her arms around her lower abdomen. "J-July."

The girl nodded, and waved the bottle in front of Renee one last time. Renee shook her head, and the girl gulped the last bits of the hot chocolate. "You wouldn't have liked it anyway. It has supplements in there that help me adapt to the atmosphere. It probably would've tasted bitter."

"Do…you want to get a coffee or something?" Renee asked the girl. "I know a diner that's still open, and…and I can't stay at that party."

"Sure," the girl replied, following Renee to her car. "As long as you're buying."

Renee could not believe that she was confiding in a total stranger, but here she was, driving this strange little Espelon girl to a diner. No words were spoken between the two while Renee drove. The girl simply peered out her window admiring the Christmas decorations in each little store, boutique, and restaurant. Whether or not the girl had intended it, the quiet in the car only increased Renee's tension, so much so that she almost missed the diner. The car jerked to a stop at an old fifties style diner. When the two walked in, they realized that they were the only customers, and the waitress was quick to pick out a nice seat for them. It was a small booth with metallic silver seats across from the windowpane. The waitress who came to them was a middle-aged woman with her hair in a beehive and a light pink uniform. She had bags under her eyes that she had tried in vain to cover with eyeliner and mascara.

"I've got some hot tomato soup on the stove," the waitress offered.

"I'd love some soup," the girl said, "and what kind of drinks do you have?"

"Hot coffee, hot chocolate, and any number of juices," the waitress replied.

"I'd like some apple juice," Renee said anxiously stroking her abdomen. "And if you have any pie or cake leftover, I'll take a piece of that."

"I'll just have a coffee—decaf if you please," the girl said to the waitress.

"No problem, and you're just in luck little lady," the waitress told Renee. "The cooks and I warmed up a pecan pie. You know, celebrating the holidays. Anyway, I'll save a piece for you."

"Thanks," Renee said.

"You're a sweet woman, Pam," the girl said with a compassionate smile.

While they waited for their orders, little to no words were exchanged between Renee and the girl. Renee was too busy trying to figure out where she remembered seeing this girl. She looked so familiar and yet so much like a stranger. All that Renee could decipher from their conversation was that the girl was a telepath, but why would she reach out to Renee? _Doesn't this girl have any Espelon friends to hang out with?_ _Is she even a girl?_ Renee had mistaken some Espelons for teenagers when they were actually thousands of years old. Even Tay'jay looked like a college student. To Renee's surprise, she realized that she had not seen many Espelons since the congressional elections. She had never been concerned enough to ask why. She always assumed many went with Tay'jay to help him protect the Ring. She did not notice any other Espelons at the party. The ordeal led Renee to wonder if this girl was really an Espelon. But if that were the case, what was she?

Finally, the waitress returned with their orders. She told Renee that she would bring the pie when it was ready.

"Thanks so much, Pam," the girl said. "The soup looks wonderful."

"Thank you," Pam said. "Enjoy."

"Oh, and Pam," the girl added just before she could turn to leave. "You shouldn't worry so much about your daughters. They know perfectly well of the situation your husband put you in, and they appreciate all that you do for them. You may not be there for them 24 hours a day, but you're always there when they need you. That's why I know they're going to love your Christmas present this year."

Pam's mouth dropped. "Th-Thank you," she stuttered. "If you need anything else, just let me know. I'll be right back here."

"Merry Christmas, Pam," the girl replied.

"Same to you."

That did it for Renee. "Tell me who you are. What do you want from me?"

"Absolutely nothing," the girl replied, "but it appears that you want something from me. Why else would you take a complete stranger like me out for coffee in the middle of the night?"

Renee sighed through her teeth and buried her head in her hands. "This is insane. I don't understand anymore. What am I doing here? Why is this happening? If…If I had known, I never would've—I mean…Oh God! How could I be so stupid? How could I not have known? What kind of woman am I?"

"When did you first notice the symptoms?" the girl asked.

"I got sick," Renee said glumly. "I thought it was a stomach virus. I couldn't come in for work, I was so bedridden. The doctor did a couple of tests on me, couldn't find anything wrong, and then I told him I'd been late—it was only in passing that I told him, but he knew. He knew right away. And then I had to tell him about that night I was at the party with Frit, and all those other parties and charities that I went to with Hubble. I usually only had a glass of wine or champagne. It was just the one with Frit…Now, I have an appointment with him next week, and I don't know what's gonna happen. My God, how did this happen? I thought I was more responsible than this. I thought I was smarter than this. It was just one mistake! One stupid mistake, and if I had known!"

Renee burst into tears and crumpled on to the table. The girl smiled sympathetically and gently touched her shoulder. When Renee finally stopped sobbing and looked up at the girl, she saw a wisdom beyond any teenager in the girl's expression. The look was empathetic, motherly, and hauntingly familiar. However, Renee's deep-seated fears and worries would not let her remember from where she had seen that kind and gentle alien expression.

"Would you love him even if he did emerge disabled?" the girl asked her seriously.

"I'd love him no matter what," Renee said, drying her tears. "I just don't want him to pay for my ignorance and stupidity."

"I know exactly how you feel," the girl said. "You know, many mothers do everything right, and they still birth children who are mentally or physically disabled. Sometimes women who abuse drugs and alcohol give birth to perfectly healthy children, never knowing they were carrying them in the first place. We ask ourselves why these unexplainable things happen. The truth is that until they emerge from our wombs, children do not belong to us. They are the property of the divine, and only fate can decide how to deliver them. We simply have to accept it, and do the best we can. So long as you love him unconditionally and rear him to the best of your abilities, you have done the job fate asks of you. And you, Renee, are a good woman. You are intelligent, compassionate, and strong. You will make a fine mother. You simply have to want to be one."

Renee reflected on the time Liam had asked her if she wanted children. She had told him that she was not sure whether she wanted to bring them in this hostile world the Taelons had helped create. It appeared that fate was not giving her a choice in the matter…unless…

"I've been thinking about it," Renee said vacantly. "There's still time for me to…you know. At least if I did that, I could try again. Maybe even get it right next time."

"That's always an option," the girl said casually sipping her soup, "and it's your choice. Still, I would take some serious time to think before I made that choice. As I said before, you will make an excellent mother when you are ready. However, if you are not ready to be a mother, perhaps that is the best option. If you are going to do that, do it for the right reasons. Don't do it just because he won't look right or act right when he comes. Even if he is physically and mentally healthy to the point of perfection, that is no guarantee that he will turn out exactly the way you want. If you decide you are not yet ready to be a mother and that you cannot give him the love that he deserves, then make that decision. However, the last thing a woman in your situation wants to do to herself is make a decision that she will regret later."

Renee finished her entire cup of apple juice in one long gulp, and then she called Pam for another one. The girl could see that Renee was shaking, however, and asked Pam if she could bring out a cup of hot chocolate with warm whole milk while she was at it. Pam was happy to oblige. While they waited, the girl finished her soup and was halfway finished with her coffee. She took Renee's tapping fingers and gently squeezed them.

"No one is going to judge you no matter what you do," the girl said in a soothing voice. "If they do, then they do not deserve your friendship. You need to stop worrying about how others perceive you. That is how people control you, and you are a woman who is too resilient to be controlled. It does not matter what other people think about your situation. Only you are in your situation, and only you know what is best for you. This is your mind, body, and spirit. Trust yourself, trust your heart, and have faith. If you truly believe that the decision you make is best for both you and your child, then it is the right decision, and no one can or should tell you any differently. Be brave, Renee Palmer."

Renee nodded comprehensively, and Pam returned with Renee's juice and hot chocolate. Also in her arms was a small plate of pecan pie with vanilla ice cream on top. The girl pulled some money from her pocket and gave it to Pam. "It's on me," she told Renee.

"I thought you said you didn't have any money," Renee said.

"I never said that," the girl said. "You assumed I said that. I said that I would come with you as long as you bought me coffee, and I am certain that when Pam examines our bill, she will find that the money I have given her covers everything save my coffee."

Pam and Renee exchanged bewildered glances. Renee shrugged and sliced into her pie with her fork.

"Well, it's almost midnight and I absolutely must be going," the girl said, putting on her jacket.

"Don't you want me to drive you?" Renee asked suddenly.

"Nah, I'll be fine," she replied with a wink. "Merry Christmas to you both." She put on her cashmere cap and left the restaurant.

As the girl left in the cashmere cap, Renee recognized the silhouette. Instantaneously, she replayed every detail of her encounter with this girl over in her head, and her mouth dropped at the realization. _No! It couldn't be!_ If it were, she should have known. She shook her head and swallowed another piece of pie.

"What a strange young lady," Pam said after the girl had left.

"Trust me, that was no _young_ lady," Renee said. "So…tell me more about your kids."

Pam sat where the girl had and spilled the beans on her daughters as if she had been waiting to talk about them all night. The two spent the last half hour before midnight discussing the pros and cons of being a mother, and the longer Renee talked about it, the more comfortable the idea of being a mother felt to her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Renee arrived about half an hour late to the party. According to the number of guests arriving alongside her, this was the custom. She recognized Link outside monitoring the perimeter with a group of agents. She wanted to call out to him, but she decided against it. She would look far too conspicuous communicating with Link in any way, shape, or form. Therefore, she handed her invitation to the receptionist and ventured in search of Urick.

In the middle of the living room was a giant Christmas tree that towered so high, Renee wondered how in the world the crew had managed to bring it inside and set it up. Surrounding the Christmas tree were tables arranged in a perfect circle with the exception of an opening for the waiters who had set up a vast amount of food. In the background, Renee could hear a jazzy version of "Oh, Christmas Tree." Guests had already gathered around the tables for the food, and in the backyard, Renee saw several children playing with a big golden retriever. Renee found Hubble in the dinning room, which had been converted into a makeshift lounge for the men to sit and talk. She reached into the breast portion of her dress and turned on the device Link had given her.

"Ah, Renee!" Hubble called when he saw her walk in. "You received the invitation. Excuse me, gentlemen."

He left his cup of brandy on a small table and walked with her back into the living room.

"Merry Christmas, Hubble," Renee said, handing him a large box wrapped in silver paper.

"Thank you," Hubble said. "It won't be ungentlemanly if I open it now, will it?"

"It's Christmas," Renee shrugged. "You can open it anytime you want."

He gently untied the bow. He removed the wrapping paper careful not to tear it, and, with Renee's help, he finally opened the box. Inside was a light gray Armani suit complete with slacks, silver cufflinks and a light blue tie. "It's great, Renee," Hubble said, immediately pulling it out. "How'd you know my size?"

"Oh, I've been close enough to you to know your dimensions by heart now," Renee said with a wink.

"_All_ of my dimensions?" Hubble asked curiously.

Renee shrugged innocently.

"Well, normally I would change into it right now," Hubble said, "but my publicists tell me it's gauche to wear two different suits in the same place on the same day. But, I can still wear the cufflinks." Immediately, he switched his own cufflinks with the ones attached to the suit. "Why don't you help me take this suit upstairs?"

"Let's go," Renee said.

He led her to the master bedroom, which had been painted red and gold to give it a more royal feel. The bed was king-sized with a thick red comforter and velvet pillows of the same color. When Renee sat on the bed, she felt an interesting contrast between the hard mattress and the soft, silky comforter. As Hubble hung the suit in his walk-in closet, Renee surveyed the rest of the bedroom.

There was a large, gold-plated antique dresser that had been so well polished that Renee could see her reflection even from where she sat on the bed. Atop the dresser was a case full of watches; a portrait of George Washington crossing the Delaware River; and finally a holder for his mail, any cards he did not like to keep in his wallet, and a black fountain pen. Above the dresser was an opening for Hubble's flat screen. The thick red velvet curtains were opened just a crack, and Renee could vaguely make out the backyard.

Renee fixed her eyes on the portrait of Washington. As she silently tortured herself with bitter memories of the congressional elections, suddenly she found something odd about the portrait. She could not be certain that Hubble was not watching her at this moment, so she bent over, pretending to straighten her shoes, and found that the portrait was turned outward just a crack. That was all Renee needed to guess that this was more than just a portrait.

When Hubble returned, he sat next to her on the bed.

"You have a really nice house," Renee complemented.

"If only I had the time to actually live in it every now and then," Hubble joked. "I mainly use this as a summer house, but we jazz it up around Christmastime and hold this little bash every year."

Renee forced herself to laugh.

"I didn't think you were going to come today after everything that happened," Hubble said softly.

"Water under the bridge," Renee said. "We can't be judged for what we do during a time of crisis. Everyone handles the stress differently, and I guess our methods put us at odds."

"I should have been more sensitive to your situation, though. I was too focused on winning that I didn't care who I hurt. But I can promise you, Renee, all of that's going to change after the Synod coronation. I'm going to be here in Washington, D.C. to meet with the new North American Companion. I figure that's as good a time as any to step down from the Atlantic National Alliance and name my successor."

"Then, the rumors are true," Renee said. "You are leaving the ANA."

"I think the ANA's going in a direction that I can't follow anymore. An old man like me just can't keep up with this fast-paced world," Hubble said.

"Old man?" Renee asked unbelievingly. "That doesn't sound like you at all."

"What doesn't?"

"This. The way you're talking, your tone—it sounds like you're just giving up," Renee said. "I've never known you to back down from a fight."

"I know, but I've learned something these past few months," Hubble said. "Sometimes the best way to fight a battle is off the lines. I'm going back to what I do best: a career of dirty politics standing by the president. I had much more influence as the Chief of Staff than I ever did as the leader of the Atlantic National Alliance, and what with the ANA's dwindling credibility, there's no way that I'll get an inside glance into this new Synod and the priests if I remain as leader."

"I…suppose I understand," Renee said, "but nevertheless, I don't like this approach. Jonathan took a similar approach and it cost him his son, his company, his morals, and eventually his life. The closer you get to the Taelons, the more integrity and decency seem to just fly out the window."

"You don't need to worry about my values," Hubble said. "Mine are as intact and strong as yours."

"I just…" Renee bit her tongue. "I hate the way the ANA and the Resistance have been working these days. Ever since those Taelons and Espelons came, everything's been falling apart. I feel like they're manipulating us all. I'm tired of humanity playing the pawn for a bunch of aliens."

Hubble widened his eyes.

"There's no progress," Renee said. "We fight, we argue, but we never get anything done. The priests are beating us because of the secrets those aliens are hiding from us. They know how to defeat the priests, but they deliberately keep secrets from us. I'm starting to wonder if they ever cared."

"And…Da'an?" Hubble pressed.

"Oh, don't get me started on her," Renee grumbled, clinching her fists. "She's the ringleader in all of it. She and her brother Tay'jay. I don't like the person I've become because of her. It's like she brings out the worst in people, and she doesn't even care. Ever since she got those powers from Ma'el, she's a completely different person. She's traveling down a path that I can't follow anymore. She manipulated me, turned me against Liam. Now, he won't even talk to me. I just have this terrible feeling that eventually Da'an is going to destroy us all."

"Did you know that an alien named Bel'lie told Liam that Da'an was the architect of the Taelon plan against humanity?" Hubble asked, pretending like he was only mentioning it in passing.

"I never should've trusted her," Renee said. "The stupid thing is I never would have realized just how much she had manipulated me if Link hadn't come to me with concerns about her."

"Link told you about Da'an?" Hubble asked.

"He's worried about her, but I'm worried about humanity," Renee said. "We think that she has a plan set in motion to take over the ANA and destroy it. She keeps saying that she wants you to leave. That's why I want you to stay. If you leave the ANA, who knows what kind of damage she may cause? You're the only one who was never drawn into her web. You never fell for her tricks. You're the only one who can stop her."

"You don't need to worry, Renee," Hubble said taking her hand. "I promise you that when tomorrow is over, things will be very different. You will never have to worry about being manipulated by another Taelon again."

"Hubble, if you're planning something—"

"You have no idea how much I want to tell you what I have planned, but I can't. I think that you know why," Hubble said.

"I'm a big girl. I'm strong. I can take it."

"Don't concern yourself with it. Think of it as my parting gift to you and the Atlantic National Alliance."

"But what if you—"

Hubble stopped her by pulling her in for a deep and passionate kiss. Renee's eyes cringed as she tasted the liquor and cigar smoke in his breath. It took all of her strength and stamina to keep from pushing him away and blowing the operation wide open. When he pulled her away, Renee feigned a swooned gesture. "We should return to the party," he told her, taking her hand.

"Yes," Renee said. Her hands were trembling as he led her down the stairs but not for the reasons he assumed.

* * *

Da'an and Augur spent the day taking Ariel around the city to join in the Christmas Day festivities. Right now, they were at an outdoor skating rink in the park, skating hand in hand with Ariel. Some were managing better than others, particularly Augur. He had never ice-skated before in his life, and were it not for a bet between him and Ariel, he would not be skating now.

"Augur, you're going to pull us all down with you," Da'an said.

"I will not be done in by a three-year-old," Augur said, stumbling on his ice skates.

"First of all, she is not three. She is 11 months," Da'an correct, "and secondly, what could you possibly have to prove to a child anyway?"

"He's just mad because he's gonna fall," Ariel taunted.

"Be quiet," Augur grumbled.

"Just keep skating outward and keep your body low," Da'an instructed. "We're almost to the benches."

It took them several minutes, but they finally made one whole trip around the rink and returned to the benches. Augur sighed with relief when he sat down. Then he held out his hand. "Pay up, kid!"

"Ah, man!" Ariel cried, handing him the bag of candy canes the Santa Claus had given her at the entrance to the festival.

Da'an shook her head. "You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves."

"Oh, come on," Augur said. "I'm not an ogre. I'll split the bag with you."

"Yay!" Ariel cried, as he divided the candy canes.

"So where's your better half?" Augur asked Da'an. "Abroad again?"

"No. Urick is holding a Christmas Day party, and Rembrandt is a part of the security team. He will meet us in the evening."

"We're going to see The Nutcracker tonight. Daddy got us great seats," Ariel said eagerly. "We're gonna sit in a box on a balcony that's hanging almost right over the stage, so I'll get to see everything."

"And remember how many strings Daddy had to pull to get those tickets," Da'an said firmly, "so I want you on your best behavior tonight."

"I will, Mommy," Ariel said with a smile. "I promise."

"You know, Da'an," Augur pointed out, "the more I look at you now, the more I see the family resemblance between you and Tay'jay."

"What do you mean?" Da'an asked.

"I'm serious," Augur said. "You two look really similar around the eye and cheek region. You two really look like brother and sister now. I gotta admit when you looked older than him, it was kinda weird."

"_You're_ weird," Da'an replied. "I never understood humanity's fascination with family genes and facial features. Do you know how many people approach Rembrandt and I when we're out with Ariel telling me that Ariel looks just like me? That's your people."

"Well what about your people?" Augur asked. "They may not be obsessed with physical family features, but they're definitely obsessed with behavioral trends in the family."

"I'd rather be obsessed with that than looks any day," Da'an said haughtily.

"Whatever pot," Augur said. "I'll relay that to my friend kettle."

"Hermit."

"ETA."

"ETA?"

"Extraterrestrial aristocrat."

"Immature ape progeny."

Ariel laughed as the two poked fun at the other species' traditions. Suddenly, Augur received a call on his global. Street's face appeared on the screen. "What's up?"

"We've got a small problem back at the lair," Street said. "I think you guys should get back here."

"But I wanted to skate some more," Ariel whined.

"Don't worry," Da'an said. "Winter lasts for three months. There will be plenty of time to skate. I promise."

"Okay," Ariel said. "Can we get some gingerbread cookies before we go at least?"

"I could use some ginger," Augur said. "Let's go."

* * *

Street met Augur, Ariel, and a young woman she had never seen before.

"Excuse me lady, but you can't just walk in here and pretend like we know—" She stopped when she saw the young woman pick up Ariel and turn to face her. "Holy crap! It's Da'an! When did this happen?"

"Well, I'm no genius, but I assume it happened sometime between the now and the time we were planning for the party," Da'an retorted. "By the way, how _did_ that party turn out? I didn't get the chance to go."

"It was cool," Street responded feebly, nervously examining Da'an's new features. "You know, lots of food and nice decorations and junk."

"What are we doing here, Jay?" Augur asked, averting her leering eyes.

"Oh, Mi'en called me and told me to call you," Street said. "She said that there's a Taelon battle cruiser in orbit around Mars. She thinks it might be Tay'jay, so she went to meet him."

The whirling sounds of a portal were emanating at the back of the lair.

"Yeah, that's probably them now," Street said.

The four hurried to Augur's portal to meet them, and as Street had said, Mi'en and a squad of 14 Espelons emerged from the portal's blue energy field. Ariel recognized the group immediately.

"Come on, admit it," Ma'ri said to the group. "You're happy to see us."

"Su'ki!" Ariel cried, racing into her arms.

"Ariel!" Ma'ri replied, swinging her in a lively embrace.

The rest of the Espelons were mesmerized by Da'an's youthful form. However, when Ma'ri put Ariel down, she appeared unmoved.

"Well, I see you've gone through the Espelon phase," she said, folding her arms.

"Really? Is that what you call it?" Da'an asked disdainfully.

"You all knew about this and you didn't tell us anything?" Mi'en asked them in an offended tone.

"We assumed that Da'an knew about it," a male Espelon said.

"Yeah, she spent all that time with Tay'jay," Mi'lu said. "We thought he told her."

"Hey, _you're_ the one who can read minds and see the future," Ma'ri pointed out to Da'an. "You couldn't figure that one out for yourself?"

"For your information, Ma'ri," Da'an responded, "the thoughts of others are one of the few tidbits of knowledge I _don't_ want."

"So what is this Espelon phase you're talking about anyway?" Augur asked.

"When Taelons turn into Espelons, a few of them go through a sort of reverse growth spurt," Ma'ri explained. "It doesn't happen with everyone, and search me on the whole science of it all. Ta'lay could probably explain it to you."

"I've noticed it happens to the more powerful Espelon psychics," Mi'lu said.

"That's just a myth," the same Espelon male protested. "It's a combination of age, family, and _la'cuvi_ cells."

"_La'cuvi_ cells?" Augur asked.

"Hormones," Da'an translated. "Or at least the closest thing to."

"You don't change back neither," Ma'ri told Da'an. "You're in it for the long haul there, sister. How do you think your brother turned out so good-looking?"

"He went through the phase too?" Street asked. "I assumed he was always that cute."

"Yeah, he wishes he was," Ma'ri said with a smirk.

"Where is that hot stuff anyway?" Street asked.

"He's back with Ta'lay," Ma'ri said. "He won't leave her until she's recovered. He might actually be keeping this one."

"Ahem, there is a child present," Augur snapped, pointing at Ariel.

"I take it you are here because you found something in the investigation," Da'an said before the group could start another argument.

"That we did," Ma'ri said with a sigh. "Reports came in a couple of days after you left. That explosion we were involved in was just the peak of a series of bombings that have been happening all over the Ring in the past few months. During our investigation, we came across 47 different attacks with the same MO. All of them were implosion bombs, and all of them had trace amounts of portables."

"Implosion bombs?" Street asked. "I assume you're not talking about like H-bombs?"

"She's referring to specialized bombs with teleporters attached," Da'an said. "You trigger them from any wave frequency anywhere to teleport them into themselves creating a powerful but confined explosion."

"Hey! Wait a minute! Taelons don't have teleportation devices," Augur protested.

"Who the hell told you that?" Ma'ri asked in outrage. "Was it _you_, Da'an?"

"Why would I tell him that?" Da'an asked back. "Nobody told him that. He assumed Taelons don't have teleportation devices because we don't use them for transport."

"Augur's just being pissy because he and Liam were involved in an investigation of this like Harvard reject professor guy who was killing people with a teleport device he made by himself," Street said.

"He was not just some guy. He was a brilliant professor named Arnold Creighton," Augur defended. "He was the first human to create a teleportation device, and the Taelons stiffed him because they were dominating the transportation industry with portals."

"Oh, please," Mi'lu scoffed. "Taelons have known about teleportation tech for over three millennia. But it's complicated and unstable. You miscalculate by a just half an inch, and the next thing you know, you're in a comet, an asteroid, or gods know what. Portals are statistically more stable, more efficient, and easier to control. The species that can use teleport tech use it to transport small inorganic shipments at relatively short distances. They're rarely used at interplanetary distances, and never used at intergalactic distance."

"Not to mention that Espelons can teleport psychically and don't need a machine," a male Espelon added. "Taelons could do it too if it weren't for the Commonality."

"Oh, but I'm sure the Taelons tried explaining that to Creighton before he became a homicidal maniac," Street added cynically.

"I don't know why you have such a lack of appreciation for the ingenuity and innovation of your species," Augur snapped at Street.

"Don't get all pissy at me just because the Taelons are more tech-savvy than you want them to be," Street said. "I'm all for human innovation, but priding it at the expense and degradation of other species who've worked just as hard as we have on the evolutionary line is just wrong."

"Plus we're just cool like that," Mi'lu added.

Da'an, Ma'ri, and Mi'en shook their heads as Augur, Street, and Mi'lu continued the argument.

"Just ignore them, Ma'ri," Da'an said. "Continue."

"As luck would have it, around the time the bombings first started, one of them was a dud," Ma'ri said. "It happened in the Haru System, and since nobody was killed and Haru is chuck-full of crime anyway, it was assumed to be an isolated incident and never reported. But the portable was stored. When we analyzed it, we found and traced the interdimensional pathway of its last trip to be somewhere in the Solar System."

"Meaning that it went to Earth," Da'an said.

"If you put two and two together, your bombers are here right now, and they've been here for at least six months," Ma'ri said, "which is not too far off after the time the priests arrived."

"It's true then," Da'an said. "The priests have people attacking the Ring."

"But none of this makes any sense," Mi'en said. "No Espelon has ever raised an aggressive hand against the priests. There's no reason for them to attack the Ring, especially in places like Haru and Alqion."

"We were thinking the same thing," Ma'ri said. "We don't know how the Ring ties into it, but we're pretty sure the ultimate goal is something on Earth. Tay'jay sent us here when we learned about it. He figured you guys could use some help."

"This is so odd," Mi'en said. "The pieces are falling into place but in the wrong places."

"Why don't you go back to your ugly room and talk to your holo-slaves that you love so much!" Street yelled at Augur.

"You know, I could understand the Espelons, I could understand those Taelons—hell I can even understand some of the ANA members, but I expected better from you!" Augur shot back. "It doesn't matter how tech-savvy the Taelons are! They lied to humanity! They've been killing humans from the day they arrived."

"I'd rather be an Espelon or a Taelon any day of the week than a weak, worthless human!" Street yelled. "All humans ever do is screw up everything they touch! They're selfish, brutish and nasty creatures that attack anything different from them. For every crime the Taelons have committed, I can name a human who's done ten times worse. For every technology the Taelons have perverted, humans have done it too. And the worst part is that they pervert their own technology just to satisfy their own greed. You know what you are? You're jealous! You're jealous that for every brand new idea that you discover, the Taelons have already uncovered it. You're just like my parents were! All they ever did was put me down and cast me out just because I was smarter than them! Dropped me off in some alternative school and never visited me just because we had one lousy disagreement! I'm glad I emancipated myself because it means that I don't have to listen to anybody like you!"

"J. Street!" Da'an yelled.

Street froze, and the entire room fell deathly silent. Da'an slowly approached her. Da'an placed a hand on her cheek to cool her flushed red face and quiet the shuddering breaths escaping her throat."

"Please take Ariel for a moment," Da'an ordered calmly. "I need to convene with my fellows."

"Gladly," Street said. Ariel climbed into Street's arms.

"If it helps, Jay, I think you'd make a great Espelon," Ariel whispered.

Street laughed and carried Ariel to the computers to play an online RPG.

"Like oh my God," a female Espelon whispered.

"Can't argue with the truth, man," a male Espelon said. "Espelons are naturally faster, smarter and physically healthier than humans. That's why Da'an wants to turn Taelons into us, right?"

"Take a break," Ma'ri said harshly.

The Espelons retreated into the lounge.

"Da'an, I don't mean to question your abilities, but I'm a little confused as to what all of this has got to do with Urick," Ma'ri said. "Are you sure we're targeting the right guy?"

"What if Tay'jay's suspicions are correct and there's more than one traitor?" Mi'en asked Da'an. "What if Urick is a decoy that the priests put in place to detour us from the real suspects? We could get in a lot of trouble targeting the wrong man."

"Have you ever considered that your vision might just be wrong this time?" Augur asked.

"It's not wrong," Da'an said firmly. "Hubble is involved in this. I am sure of it. The other day, Rembrandt and I spoke of the priests' precognitive abilities. With slight variations, the priests see the same things I see. They know what Hubble is going to do, and they are capitalizing on it the same as I. Augur, contact Rembrandt. Tell him that you may have found all the evidence he needs in his investigation. Then, have Ma'ri's team meet him at Urick's house. I want you to wait for Remdrandt's signal."

"What's Link got to do with this?" Augur asked in shock.

"I was not asking you, Devereaux," Da'an said coarsely.

Augur waved his hands in frustration and left with Ma'ri. Mi'en remained behind.

"What are you doing, Da'an?" Mi'en asked firmly.

It was a ruthless stare Da'an gave, so ruthless that for a second, Mi'en thought she was looking at Zo'or. "I am taking care of a problem, one that has been a thorn in my side for months now," she said, pulling her global from her back pocket.

Liam's face appeared on the screen. "Hey. I assume you didn't call me just to wish me a Merry Christmas."

Liam's reaction to Da'an's new form troubled Mi'en. He was completely unscathed as if he had spoken with Da'an before today.

"Liam," Da'an started, "have the volunteer corps had any progress on the bomb threats on the Synod's coronation ceremonies?"

"We've got people all over the world investigating every kind of threat known to man, even that hearsay crap on the Internet."

"All the same, Liam, are you performing security sweeps of all the embassies?" Da'an asked.

"We don't need to," Liam said. "The embassies are equipped with bomb detectors. They've been that way ever since that crazy guy with the holographic tech destroyed the Taelon embassies here and in Asia."

"Those detectors are only sensitive to certain kinds of bombs," Da'an said. "I want you to perform man-run security sweeps of every Taelon embassy on Earth. Can you do that?"

"What are we looking for?" Liam asked.

"Any suspicious activity and/or unusual additives to the embassy's structure."

"I'm gonna need a reason."

"Make one!" Da'an said, slamming the global shut.

Mi'en shook her head.

"What is it now, Mi'en?" Da'an asked with narrow eyes.

"This isn't about the priests or the Synod, is it?" Mi'en asked with scoff. "This is all about Urick."

"Precisely," Da'an said calmly. "So go the best laid plans of mice and men. It's funny. I actually pity the man."

Mi'en could not believe she was about to say it. "So do I…Nevertheless, I am troubled by this approach. Sometimes the line between personal gain and the greater good is a thin one."

"A fact I know all too well," Da'an agreed, "but I cannot stop this now even if I wanted to."

* * *

Renee sashayed her way out of the drunken and singing crowd. She quietly moved upstairs and crept into Urick's bedroom. She closed the door, careful to check that no one had followed her. Then, she gently pulled open the portrait. Her guess was correct. Behind the portrait of her nation's founding father was a large silver wall safe.

Now, Renee only needed to find a way to open it, and her experience as a Resistance double agent more than prepared her for such a task. She pressed her global against the safe and accessed the global's sound recording device. Designed to detect the slightest vibrations, it would no doubt detect the quintessential clicks she needed to find the right code. She turned the large black knob slowly. Her heart raced when the global detected the first number. She changed directions, and she jerked her head around when she heard a low hum. However, it was nothing more than the air conditioner. For some reason, she could no longer control the trembling in her fingertips as she searched for the last number. Luckily, it was not enough to thwart the sound recording device's task of detecting the last number. She quickly turned the lever and pulled open the wall safe, taking one last look around to make sure no one was in the room.

The safe was virtually empty. All it had was a money clip stuffed with cash, a wooden box with valuable watches, a rare pen set, and a shoe box full of what appeared to be family photos. Just when Renee was ready to give up, she accidentally dropped the wooden box of watches. The box crashed against the carpet spilling out the watches. As Renee struggled to reposition the watches, she found a folded white piece of paper she had not seen before. In Hubble's handwriting were an address that Renee did not recognize and a date. _This is just two days from now. The Synod coronation! Rembrandt was right!_

Renee quickly pocketed the piece of paper and carefully put back together the box of watches. Quickly, she returned it to where she found it and slammed the door, remembering to turn the knob quickly so as not to rouse Hubble's suspicions. Finally, she closed the portrait of George Washington and prepared to leave with what she had.

"What are you doing?"

Renee froze. She could not speak as Hubble wrapped his arms around her.

"Admiring our founding father?"

"Yes," she choked. "He was…a great man. When I saw his portrait the last time I was up here, I…couldn't help but note the similarities between the patriots and the Liberation Movement today. They were damned as fanatics and heretics just like we are. Like them, we're struggling to win our freedom. I used to think of the Resistance that way when I first joined. Now, the message has gotten lost."

"Every American is endowed with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…and the never-ending struggle to defend those rights. We took advantage of them, which was why we were so willing to give them away to the Taelons when they arrived. And the message hasn't gotten lost. We will win our freedom. It's just become distorted. It's up to us to clarify it."

"I think I'll retire for the rest of the day," Renee said. "Merry Christmas, Hubble."

"I'll walk you to the door," Hubble said, gracefully stepping aside for her to leave the room.

As Renee walked towards the door, her tension reached feverish levels. She worried that Hubble had discovered her before she could cover the wall safe. She worried that he was toying with her and ready to explode the moment she walked out the door.

However, Hubble's slick smile rang true until they reached the door. He even sugarcoated their goodbye with a kiss on her hand.

"Renee, after the coronation, I want to see you again," Hubble said. "Meet me back here Sunday. I'll tell you everything."

The look in Hubble's eyes was so clear and focused.

"I promise," Renee said letting her heart sink for the poor man.

As she turned the corner, Renee found herself despising both Urick and Da'an at the same time—Da'an for her cruelty and Urick for his ignorance. She did not know when Da'an decided to curse Hubble with such a slow and wicked death. All Renee knew was that she was now powerless to stop it. _Da'an never cared about Urick. She never wanted him as an ally, and now she will punish him for the simple crime of standing in her way. I only hope that she'll still be able to look at herself in the mirror when this is over._

_He should have known this was her game all along. How can he be so certain and so misguided at the same time? How can he be so brilliant and yet so foolish!_

Renee wondered if she had once been like him. Perhaps that was why she understood him, felt sympathy for him, and had to fight the growing urge to go back inside and try to save him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Preparations for the coronation began the week before, and they had not so much as stopped for water. Liam was now feeling the effects. No energy drink in the world could keep him on his toes, and he nearly fell asleep at one meeting. This was the worst time to be feeling weary. Liam had met all the new Synod members face-to-face with the exception of the North American Companion. Today, he would finally meet him just hours before the coronation and the following celebrations began. With the priests and the Synod constantly watching, Liam needed his senses at maximum, a necessity that was proving more trouble than its perceived worth.

As the preparations drew on, Proctor was proving a worthy asset and a good friend. However, as good a friend a Proctor became, Liam could not help but think of the friends he had left behind. When Christmas came and Liam had no one with whom to celebrate, Liam especially missed them.

Liam met Proctor, the new North American Companion protector Jerry Walker, and the new head of Washington security, Ana Kodetova.

"You try some of that Taelon cola?" Jerry asked.

"I'm addicted to that stuff thanks to you," Liam said antagonistically. "I hope you're happy."

"Hey, if you would just get an implant, you wouldn't need it to stay awake 24/7," Jerry defended.

"Even if I wanted an implant, which I don't, the Taelons don't implant humans anymore," Liam said.

"Still, I'm starting to see why people like Sandoval needed them so badly," Proctor added.

"I feel perfectly healthy," Ana said.

"That's because you get to sleep every now and then," Liam grumbled.

"No. It is because I am tough and well-disciplined," Ana said, supporting her statement by firming her posture.

"I think I'm gonna need another bottle of that energy drink," Liam said to Jerry.

"Fifty bucks," Jerry said quickly, extending his hand.

"Fifty bucks?" Liam cried out. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Demand just went up," Jerry said quickly. "You all saw it happen!"

"What the hell's the matter with you?"

"I'm a hustler, baby. I'm a hustler."

"Don't hustle your superior, man," Proctor said sharply. "Give him the damn bottle."

Jerry opened a storage closet and pulled out another bottle. However, he still would not hand it to Liam. "Twenty-five bucks."

Liam snatched the bottle from his hand and pried it open. Then, he motioned for Proctor to come closer so that they could whisper. "You perform those security sweeps like I told you?"

"Yes, sir, but I don't know what you expected us to find," Proctor said. "The motion detectors found nobody in the embassy but volunteers, and no one was in one place long enough to store a bomb."

"Just because you don't see the threat doesn't mean it's not there," Liam noted.

"Oh, is this that 'absence of evidence is not evidence of absence' bullshit?" Proctor asked.

Liam had to laugh. "Just do the sweeps."

"Yes, sir," Proctor said.

The energy from the portal built, and the four turned to face the incoming passengers. Two Taelons appeared through the large bright blue circles both in their energy forms. Liam and the others formed a side-by-side line as the two exited.

"Major Kincaid, fellow agents, this is Lo'ki, the new North American Companion," Arumi said.

Lo'ki gave them the Taelon greeting. He appeared to be examining the humans closely.

"It's great to finally meet you," Liam said.

"Same to you. I have heard much about you," Lo'ki said in a monotonous tone. "I suppose we should get down to business. We have little time."

"I was thinking, due to the security threats that it would be best that we vacate the embassies just for the day," Liam said.

"Why would we want to do that?" Arumi asked inquisitively. "No Taelon has ever been intimidated by terrorist banter. I see no reason to start now."

"I am inclined to agree with Major Kincaid," Ana said.

"Surely, there's no need for anyone to be in the embassies today," Proctor added. "All of the events will be occurring outside. This is a day of celebration. Let's give the employees a chance to share it with their families."

Arumi and Lo'ki exchanged glances.

"We will vacate the embassies of all non-essential personnel. All others must remain within the embassy," Arumi decided.

"But Arumi—"

"I believe I gave you an order, Kincaid," Arumi interrupted. "If you feel there is a security risk, increase the presence of volunteers in the embassies."

"You must understand that the credibility of the Synod has been put under serious scrutiny ever since the massacre," Lo'ki said. "This is not just a celebration of a new age with humanity. This is a re-affirmation of the Synod's prestige and power. What kind of message are we sending if we vacate the embassies in fear of a few invalidated security threats?"

"I understand," Liam said reluctantly.

"Continue with your efforts then," Arumi said. "We must make haste to the Vatican."

"It was pleasure to meet you all," Lo'ki said. "Walker? Kodetova?"

Jerry and Ana followed Arumi and Lo'ki back into the portal and disappeared.

"They can't know anything if they're busy with the festivals," Liam said to Proctor. "Issue the order that all embassy personnel are to leave the second the party starts."

"Yes, sir," Proctor said.

"Ready to go around the world in 60 minutes?" Liam asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Proctor replied.

* * *

The address Renee obtained from Hubble's safe led Link and Christine to a warehouse in the manufacturing district of DC. They were inside an armored, unmarked truck with a small team.

"I never would've imagined that Urick would be gutsy enough to plan this in his hometown," Christine said.

"He's supposed to be at the party at the Washington Embassy when the fireworks go off," Link said. "This way, he doesn't have to take a portal, which can be tracked. He'll just drive right up to the wreckage with his mouth hanging open. Clean and legal."

"A shaky alibi, but a good one," Christine said.

"We don't move in until we're sure he's in there," Link said.

Christine examined Link closely. His eyes were fixed downward the whole time he spoke, staring at nothing. He appeared concentrated yet absent-minded at the same time. How was that possible?

"Are we waiting for a confession?" Christine asked.

Link did not say anything to her, yet his expression was attentive. He was listening to something, but it was not she.

"How's it coming?" Christine asked one of the agents who was listening on a radio monitor.

"Nothing yet," he replied, slumped over the control console. Suddenly, he jerked upright. "I think I've got something here." He put the audio feed on speaker so that the whole team could hear.

"Where are we?" a male voice asked.

"The Taelons have just finished the coronation. They're on their way to their respective embassies," a younger male voice said.

"What's the crowd look like?" the first voice asked.

"At least 50,000 people per embassy. Looks to be one hell of a show," a female voice said.

"Wait until the opening speeches are over," the first male voice said.

"Yes, sir."

"All that I needed to hear," Christine said.

"Move in now," Link said into his earpiece. "Come on, Christine. Let's go."

Christine followed Link out of the van.

* * *

"I still can't believe all the countries that host the Taelon embassies agreed to host the parties at the same time," Street said. "Aren't they worried about the different time zones?"

Augur, Da'an, Ariel, and Street were watching the coronation ceremony and the soon-to-follow festival on television.

"They're not hosting them all at the same time. It just seems that way because the festivals are all day long," Da'an said. "The only thing simultaneous will be the time the new companions arrive at their new embassies."

"Still, it's a huge undertaking," Augur agreed.

"Exactly," Da'an said. "It is the biggest worldwide event since Live Earth."

"Hey, check it out," Street announced, pointing to the screen.

"We are here live at the Vatican, Rome where religious leaders from all over the world have just completed their blessings of the brand new Taelon Synod."

The screen fixed on the Taelons who were kneeling before the human religious leaders. The high priest approached the kneeling leader of the Synod and brought him to his feet. The whole world fell silent while the high priest chanted something in Taelon. Then, the rest of the Taelon Synod arose.

"For the first time, I give you the new Taelon Synod and their leader, Arumi."

"Arumi?" Da'an cried suddenly. Suddenly, she hunched over when a terrible vision came to her. She groaned in pain as Augur and Street rushed to her aid.

"Are you all right?" Street asked urgently.

"What did you see?"

Da'an pulled herself out of Augur and Street's arms. "Liam! I have to get to the Washington Embassy!"

"Wait, you can't go!" Augur protested. "There are guards everywhere."

"I don't have much time," Da'an said to herself.

"Be careful, mommy," Ariel said as Da'an fled from the lair.

* * *

Link and Christine were standing in front of a large metal slide door. They could hear activity going on inside the warehouse.

"I'll go in first," Link said. "He trusts me. Maybe I can reason with him."

"You can't go in alone," Christine protested.

"No matter what happens, you back me up in five minutes," Link said, "but he's got his finger on the button right now. If we both try to seize him, he might just press it to spite us."

"Five minutes," Christine said firmly. "No more."

Link pulled open the door and crept inside. "This is Link calling Su'ki."

"Su'ki here," a voice said over the radio feed.

"I'm in the stronghold, and I've got my partner with me. What's your position?"

"We're 25 meters away. We can see you both from here."

"Give me five minutes, and don't scare my partner."

"Done. See you in five minutes."

Link could hear voices coming from upstairs as well as mechanical sounds. He slowly climbed the wooden staircase. He found Hubble standing in between a makeshift communication station with a small skeleton crew. He recognized many of the people sitting at computers. They were all workers he had seen at the ANA communications building.

Hubble whirled around to see Link standing by the staircase, and he smiled.

"Dauterive," Hubble said. "Believe it or not, I've been expecting you."

"Oh really?" Link asked.

"I knew you couldn't handle not knowing. You're a private investigator. You had to know what I was doing, what I was planning. What do you think?"

"I think you're delusional," Link said.

"And why is that?"

"This is nonsense, Urick. It's dangerous nonsense. You're sacrificing human lives all in the name of a grudge against Da'an."

"This is not just about Da'an. This is about making a stand against the Taelons. Da'an keeps us idle while the priests ruin lives every day."

"Da'an keeps us idle because the priests haven't done anything wrong to date. She keeps us idle because she knows the priests are planning something big, the ramifications of such will make what they've done so far trivial. If we strike before we're prepared, we're the ones who will suffer."

"You and I both know that Earth doesn't have that kind of time. This is my opportunity to destroy the Taelons in one fell swoop. The priests will know what a powerful foe humanity is."

"You can say it as many ways you want. It's still playing with people's lives, and it makes you no different than the priests."

"I should've known you were wasting my time. I should've known she'd get to you."

"You don't have to do this," Link said softly. "You are a formidable person who commands respect. You would make a powerful ally. Why are you pursuing this? You are so much better than all of this."

"When are you going to realize that Da'an doesn't give a damn about humanity? All she cares about is getting back into power. We're all puppets to her. Well, I refuse to be controlled. I refuse to be manipulated by anyone, Taelon or human."

"By doing this, you're not hurting Da'an. You're only hurting yourself. I know you're a powerful man. I know how much you value humanity's freedom. You can still win this battle with us. That's why you do not have to give that order. Just walk away."

"I'm sorry, Rembrandt," Hubble said calmly, "but this is the only way. I am finally going to pull the veil over humanity's eyes. If they don't understand after this, then we really are lost."

"There are better ways to make a stand, and you know it. Don't be like Jonathan Doors. Don't you remember how the Liberation failed with that virus they sent into the communications systems. How many lives were lost to that senseless act? Don't become an extremist. That's not who you are. You wanna know why the Human Liberation died out? Because Jonathan Doors tolerated extremist behavior to pursue his own personal agenda. It wasn't enough to destroy the Taelons. He had to come out on top as well, and he paid for his arrogance. But you are not that kind of person. You're a politician and therefore a man of reason. You solve your problems with words and savvy. You can become a man of the people and win over their hearts the same way that the priests have. Don't be desperate and arrogant at the same time or else you will fail."

"You forget that Jonathan Doors tried to solve his problems with words by running for president, and he failed."

"Because his past caught up with him, and he didn't do it for the humans. He did it for himself, and when he finally realized his mistakes, it was too late."

"You have a way with words yourself, Rembrandt," Hubble said. "You would've made one hell of a negotiator, but the gauntlet has already been cast."

"Freeze, Urick!" Christine cried.

Ma'ri and the Espelon squad revealed themselves from all directions. While Link had been negotiating with Urick, Christine and the Espelons had been planning together and surrounding the squad. One by one, they forced Hubble's team down the steps until Hubble was the only one left.

"So you were stalling me," Hubble said, rolling his eyes. "I was right not to trust you. Did Da'an send you, or are you doing this on your own?"

"Da'an has nothing to do with this, Urick," Christine said, revealing her badge. "CIA counterterrorism unit. You're under arrest for suspicion of terrorist activities."

"You should've trusted me, Hubble," Link said.

"A double agent, hiding within my own system for all this time," Hubble said. "Who are you really, Rembrandt? What's your real name?"

"That's not important now," Link said. "You still have a choice, Urick. You can either take this like a man and come quietly with us or we can do this the hard way. It's your decision."

Suddenly, Ma'ri fired her weapon at one of her own Espelons. Link and Christine pulled out their pistols, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Su'ki, what the hell are you doing?" Link cried.

The Espelon grabbed Hubble, pulled an energy knife out and put it up against Hubble's neck.

"I brought 14 people with me," Ma'ri answered, glaring at the Espelon whose helmet was pulled over. "Just now, I counted one extra. Someone snuck in here in between the time you contacted me and now. Who are you? Tell me!"

The Espelon wrestled Hubble down and pointed her energy knife at him. Then, she removed her helmet.

"Nu'na!" Link cried with shock.

"So, the itty bitty human wants to be a big hero," Nu'na said condescendingly to Hubble. "That's so sweet."

"It's not possible. You died. We saw you die!" Ma'ri cried.

"What you saw was an explosion," Nu'na shot back. "The last of a series of tests we used to pull this stunt."

"I should've known," Link said, rolling his eyes. "You've been working for the priests all along. Da'an was right when she said there was a traitor. She just got the wrong traitor."

"Au contraire, my old comrade," Nu'na said. "Da'an was correct when she named Urick as the traitor. My spies and I have been watching him ever since we joined, reading his dirty thoughts, watching him sneak around with that little smirk on his face. He's been planning this ever since Da'an joined, planning to frame her and attack the Taelons, as he said it, all in one fell swoop. Well, one man's trash is another man's treasure."

"I've got a lock on her," one of the Espelons said to Ma'ri over the radio.

"Do it! Shoot me!" Nu'na yelled, glaring straight at the Espelon sniper. "I want you to kill me. Please." She ripped off her uniform to reveal a strange alien belt around her waist. It was metallic with wires weaved in and out of the structure that appeared to be attached to her vitals. "Put me out of my misery."

"She's strapped to a bomb!" Christine cried. "Everyone get back!"

"She's a suicide bomber," Ma'ri said. "If we kill her, this whole place will go up."

"Nu'na, we have Urick. You've helped us expose him. That's great," Link said. "Now, let's just take him and go."

"No!" Nu'na yelled. "He's gotta pay. He's gotta pay for his insolence, for questioning Da'an's wisdom." She darted a fierce look at Hubble. "You really think you deserve to stand against the glory of an _Amo'qui_? You impure, disgusting little insect! It was I who gave the priests all the dirt on you and Renee to launch that smear campaign."

"I don't know what the priests promised you, Nu'na, but they will never give it to you," Ma'ri said. "The priests don't care about you. You're an Espelon. A Lost One. You're impure to them."

"That's where you're wrong, Ma'ri," Nu'na said with a maniacal smile. "The high priest honors the sacrifice me and my people will make to bring the purifier back where she belongs. In return for our service, we will be purified. We will join the Commonality, and my spirit will join with my family's. It is my honor and my duty to usher in the events that will save the Taelon race."

"You're delusional," Ma'ri said. "Tay'jay told me all about you, about how your father abandoned you as a child and left you with Tay'jay. He became the priests' lackey, and now he's pressured you into joining him and doing his dirty work."

"You could not begin to understand my family or my motivations," Nu'na said. "Our father is dead. He was too weak to understand the true power of the priests. He was too weak to face a lot of things. He couldn't even look at Arumi as he slit his throat. All he could do was stare at me and wonder why I had betrayed him. He kills our mother and separates us, but he thinks _we_ betrayed _him_. I call what I do just. But it doesn't matter. I know you're trying to stall me, Ma'ri. I can hear your dirty thoughts." She pointed her knife at Urick. "Don't move, or you'll die quickly! You have no idea how wonderful it feels, Ma'ri. The clarity, the peace of knowing you're never alone, and the security that your sacrifice will earn you a piece of paradise."

"The high priest is just using you, Nu'na. He's taking your desire for justice and purity and turning you into a fanatic. No matter what you do, it'll never be good enough for him."

"Don't you get it?" Nu'na asked. "I'm not doing this for the high priest. I'm doing this for Da'an. I have always been loyal to Da'an. I love Da'an. It is my honor to die for her. The high priest has shown me the way. We are his new holy warriors. We're everywhere! We're in everything! You can't run away from us. We are always watching and listening. If humanity hadn't infected her, she would realize that the Taelon race truly is the master race. Uncorrupted by emotion and infighting. The Espelon world is in shambles. Da'an must reunite us with the Taelons and the Commonality. It is the only way to survive."

The Espelons and Link exchanged bewildered glances.

"The high priest has foreseen it. The more Da'an becomes involved in humanity's affairs, the more she does to help the high priest bring them to holy war. In leaving the Taelons and becoming an Espelon, she is not inhibiting the priests' agenda. She is helping it. She is the final piece of the puzzle. She will give the Lost Ones an identity and a purpose. The centuries of scraping and scrambling for survival will end. By uniting the Taelons and the Espelons once again, she will bring forth a golden age, and no Espelon will ever want for peace and prosperity again. There will come a time where Da'an will return to the high priest and bring with her the Espelons. It is my and the Espelon sleepers' duty to ensure that this happens. We can't have little pests like Urick running around trying to destroy her."

"Do you believe that, Nu'na?" Link asked with skepticism. "Do you really believe that?"

"You love-struck son of a bitch," Hubble said sinisterly. "You still can't see it. Even when this fanatic says it plain and simple, you still can't grasp it. That little harlot that you call your beloved used you, just like she's been using humanity from the day she arrived. She's no different than the high priests. They're all the same. They'll genetically engineer humanity to become soldiers to destroy the Jaridians. All they want to do is turn humanity into slaves so that they can dominate the Jaridians and become the master race."

"You are so pathetic!" Nu'na scoffed. "You still think that your humans are that important. You don't even exist to us! You really want to know what the original agenda was? You want to know how the really Taelons feel about humanity? Fine. I'll tell you."

She smiled scathingly at Hubble. "We despise you. You mean nothing to the Taelons! You don't matter. You're pests! Wastes of good DNA! The Taelons came here to prepare you for the Jaridians all right. They came to manipulate you into loving them. Worshipping them. Adoring them so that you would die for them. All your resources, all your 'creativity,' thousands of years of evolution all the name of becoming nothing more than bodies for the Taelons, your gods. Bodies to be hurled at the Jaridians to overwhelm their forces while the Taelons sneak quietly in from behind to finish them off. That's why Ma'el and the other scientists were sent out. They were sent to find a planet, some isolated planet in the middle of nowhere with billions of people ripe for manipulation. If you just so happened to be of any further use through genetic engineering, then so be it. But at the end of the day, you are and always will be nothing but walking corpses. And you, Urick, are the most miserable corpse of all."

Hubble whimpered and scrambled backwards away from Nu'na.

"That's right," Nu'na said mockingly. "Run. Run like the weak little coward you are. It doesn't feel so good being a puppet, does it Mr. Urick?"

"Then, you let Hubble do this…"

"That's right," Nu'na confirmed before Link could finish. "We let Hubble Urick concoct this pathetic little act so that he would feel like a hero, like he was truly making a difference in the world. Opening humanity's eyes? Isn't that the classic slogan of the Human Liberation Movement? You should change it to opening humanity's eyes to instrument of their species' demise! We watched you place those bombs ever so delicately in every embassy around the world ready to set them off the moment the new companions walk inside. Then, while Kincaid and the volunteers were wasting time with this pathetic celebration, we slipped in and removed all of Urick's bombs replacing them with our own. Not that anyone will be able to tell the difference. Even if they do, Hubble's going down no matter what for attempted acts of terrorism. Just think, Mr. Urick. Millions upon millions of humans will die all in the name of the Taelons' survival, and we owe it all to you. And when it's all over, Da'an will come in like an angel from the sky and quell the storm. All along you've been trying to be the next Jonathan Doors, a regular hero to the people. All along you've been Da'an's little puppet. Congratulations."

"No!" Hubble cried.

"Nu'na, I know you think you're helping Da'an, but you're not," Link implored. "This isn't what she wants."

"We understand that you want to help Da'an, but this isn't the way to do it," Ma'ri said. "This is what the priests want. If she were here, she'd tell you right now. You're not winning Da'an's favor in this. You're winning her wrath. You're betraying her, and she and Tay'jay will never forgive you."

"Why don't you ask her about her agenda yourself, Ma'ri?" Nu'na said. "Da'an can see it just as well as the priests can. All of her actions bring her that much closer to the high priest. It is Da'an's right and her destiny to become the controller of the Commonality. It is with love that we declare war on all those who resist the glory of the _Amo'qui_."

She rushed to one of the consoles and activated a program that infected every audio and video feed tuned into the Taelon Synod's celebration. On the screen behind her was a video of Espelons who had situated themselves inside the Taelon embassies all over the world. All of them had the same alien belts strapped to their waists. One of them Ma'ri recognized as Ja'da.

"Humans! We are the sleepers! For too long, we have watched the impure ones infect our species like a virus. You humans are the carriers, and we are the cure. You have gambled with fate and lost. We are the messengers carrying the truth behind all truths. The time has come for your first awakening. We will open your eyes to the real secret of your existence and where your species stands in this universe. The sleepers have finally come! Embrace the void!"

"Nu'na, wait!" Link yelled as Ja'da made his edict.

"Don't get in our way, Alex!" Nu'na shouted.

"You have to stop! You're wrong about Da'an! This isn't her agenda!"

"I do this in the name of the Commonality with hopes that we will reunite into a single, perfect race!" Nu'na yelled, turning on her communicator. She brought the glowing red blades to her neck in the shape of an X. "Death to the human resistors!"

"Death to the human resistors!" the other Espelons yelled.

Christine called for everyone to take cover. They did not get the chance to see Nu'na and the others use their knives like scissors to slice off their own heads. The glowing lights on their belts turned red, and the video feed was cut into a screen of static. Link raced to the computer console and turned it on to the news. The cameras showed the same image all over the world. The structures that were once the glorious Taelon embassies were now swathed in fire. The screams coming from the panicked crowd and the babbling from the stricken reporter made his heart sink for the vision Da'an had known about all along, the vision she had been powerless to stop. It had all come full circle.

"So this is how you make a war," Link said solemnly. "The exact same thing they used to start the war between the Taelons and the Jaridians. Got to hand it to the priests. They know what works."

"Jihad," Ma'ri said with disdain.

"We're getting reports that there were people in the embassies before the explosion, including Major Liam Kincaid—"

Link turned up the volume.

"We can't confirm it, but yes, people may have been in those embassies when they exploded," the reporter yelled. "It's pandemonium out here! We have no idea whether or not these reports were accurate, but all we know is that Liam Kincaid and 18 other Taelon workers are unaccounted for. We have injuries all over the place! There's ash everywhere…"

Ma'ri and Link exchanged frightened glances. "You don't think she…"

"God, I hope not," Link breathed, opening his global. He tried to call Da'an three times. Three times, the phone hung up declaring signal failure. Link collapsed into the nearest chair.

"It's okay," Christine said, placing her hand on Link's shoulder. "I'll take Urick in for processing. You get to the embassy. I'll join you there as soon as I can."

"Get up!" Ma'ri yelled at Hubble, pulling the bewildered politician to his feet. "Let's go!"

Christine handed Link the keys to her car. She helped him stand and with a light push, sent him on his way. Link ran as fast as his feet could carry him. In time, he would not remember how he found his way to Christine's car and raced to the embassy without the slightest sense of direction. All he would remember is how long it took.

* * *

Joshua's presence at the festival made Renee surprisingly happy. The two latched on to each other mingling with the elite and the press while they waited for the coronation to commence. All eyes turned on the giant screens in front of the Washington Monument to watch the coronation. Reverend Murray and another famous televangelist led President Thompson and several other executive officials in an afternoon prayer. Then, they turned the video feed to the coronation ceremony. There was a tremendous burst of applause as the new North American Companion was declared one of the newest members of the Synod.

"So how was your Christmas?" Joshua asked Renee as the coronation drew to a close.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Renee said, her mind wandering to that night at the diner with that mysterious Espelon girl. "How about you?"

"I went to California. You know Kirk Mathis?"

"Yeah. The producer," Renee said.

"Well, he had a big Christmas party celebration at his house in Beverly Hills, and he invited me."

"He's placing our products in that action movie coming out this summer, right?"

"Yes, but he didn't invite me because of that. We're old prep school buddies, him and me," Joshua said. "You should have come. You would've liked it."

"I went to Hubble's party."

"I see," Joshua said slowly. "I thought you and Hubble weren't getting along."

"We're not," Renee said. "I was just worried about him, so I went to check up on him and see how he was doing."

"Is he not feeling well or something?" Joshua asked.

"He was fine when I saw him. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that he's the president's chief of staff, and he's nowhere to be seen," Joshua said. "I thought he might be coming down with something."

Renee sighed heavily. _Hubble, you fool!_

"How's Liam doing?" Joshua asked.

"I wouldn't know," Renee said dryly.

Joshua fell silent. From her tone, he immediately understood that she and Liam were no longer an item. "You want to get out of here?"

"I'm waiting for a friend of mine to come," Renee said, looking hopefully into the sky. "Besides, wouldn't it look strange, us leaving before the new companion arrives?"

"I meant out as in off the stage," Joshua said laughing. "You wanna get some food? Grab a bite to eat?"

"Oh," Renee said, sighing humorously with a light laugh. "Let's go. I'm starving."

They stopped by a barbecue station to get some food and sat at one of the picnic tables.

"I don't envy the man who's gonna have to clean all this up later," Joshua said.

Renee laughed. "Knowing the Taelons, they probably have some kind of all-purpose matter disintegrator or something that'll cut down the cleaning time."

"I'm just glad to be enjoying my vacation," Joshua said. "Slow down there! That food's gotta last you until the evening."

Renee stopped eating and quickly cleaned her face with a napkin. She had not realized how quickly she was shoveling in the potato salad on her plate. She could not get enough of the stuff. "Sorry. I must be hungrier than I thought I was," Renee explained, instinctively placing one hand over her lower abdomen.

"I was just messing with you," Joshua said.

"This vacation must be doing you a lot of good," Renee said with a chuckle. "You were never this light-hearted before."

"Let's just say I'm embracing the spirit of the season," Joshua said, subtly placing his hand on Renee's arm. He smiled when she did not brush it off.

The two spent the next few minutes discussing everything from company affairs to personal stories about family and friends. For a moment, Renee felt for Joshua the same way she had felt for Liam, and she visualized how life would have been had she said yes to Joshua's proposal. How simple it seemed at this moment to erase her relationship with Liam and start over with Joshua on a blank slate. How disturbingly tempting the thought was. Then, her thoughts drifted toward that young Espelon woman in the diner.

"_Do it because you want what is absolutely best for him. If you decide you are not yet ready to be a mother and that you cannot give him the love that he deserves, then make that decision. However, the last thing a woman in your situation wants to do to herself is make a decision that she will regret later."_

Was there something deeper to those words? Was there some double meaning that Renee had not initially caught? What more could she be saying to Renee? Perhaps Renee was reading too much into it. _What is absolutely best for him?_

Luckily, Joshua's announcement of the new companion's arrival interrupted her train of thought, and she followed him back to the stage checking for any stains she may have gotten from the food. There were none.

When they reached the stage, activity had increased ten fold. Thousands had gathered to the Washington Monument, hundreds of members of the press and social elite had gathered by the portal where the companion was scheduled to arrive, and the President's entourage was standing behind him at the podium anxious to welcome the new companion. Finally, the blue flash of the portal signaled the arrival of the new North American Companion, and the public burst into excitement. Renee watched the Taelon blush at all the press he was receiving. He followed Liam and a companion protector Renee had not seen before to the stage. Then, Liam whispered something to the companion protector. With his own army of volunteers and local agents, Liam spread everyone out into a security perimeter and disappeared into the crowd, heading in the direction of the Taelon embassy. That was the last time Renee saw Liam.

The North American Companion stood behind the podium on the stage and introduced himself as Lo'ki. The public burst with applause as Lo'ki stated his hopes for humanity and the Taelons. For some reason, Renee's anxiety grew the whole time. She felt dizzy, but not nauseous, thankfully, and she asked one of the stagehands for a bottle of water, despite the fact that it was 30 degrees outside.

Joshua could sense the growing tension in Renee, and asked her if she was all right.

"I think it's just the cold weather," Renee said. "I'll be fine."

That was when the screens went blank. A deep hush fell over the crowd as the image of Lo'ki replaced itself with the image of a young, blue-eyed Caucasian man. He appeared to be standing in a Taelon structure, and it was not long before Renee figured out that he was on the roof of the Taelon embassy. In his hands appeared to be energy knives, and there was a strange belt around his waist.

"Humans!" he yelled to the top of his lungs. "We are the sleepers! For too long, we have watched the impure ones infect our species like a virus. You humans are the carriers, and we are the cure. You have gambled with fate and lost."

Renee quickly deduced that the youth she was looking at was an Espelon. From there, she recognized him as a member of Nu'na's team. It was Ja'da!

"We are the messengers carrying the truth behind all truths. The time has come for your first awakening. We will open your eyes to the real secret of your existence and where your species stands in this universe. The sleepers have finally come! Embrace the void!"

Renee pulled out her global and immediately dialed Da'an's number to ascertain exactly what was going on. She was too busy to hear the frenzied war cry of Nu'na's fanatical group. Da'an's voicemail had just picked up when the signal suddenly fell dead. Before Renee could wonder why, a loud boom pierced her ears. The sound wave threw her forward with everyone else in the crowd. A searing heat followed, and out of the corner of her eye, Renee could see the ball of fire that was once the Taelon embassy. Screams and wails echoed everywhere. Joshua pulled Renee up and dragged her off the stage before the two of them could get trampled. Lo'ki was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had just disappeared. As they fled from the riotous crowd, it suddenly hit Renee that Liam was still in the building during the explosion. She screamed for Liam until her voice gave out and wept hysterically in Joshua's arms.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Liam awoke in a jagged wasteland of twisted metal, charred bio-slurry, and searing ash. He remembered hearing a young woman calling out his name. He turned to look at her, and then he felt a burst of heat. His ears were still ringing from the ordeal, and his vision was hazy. As he tried to move, he heard an unsettling creaking noise. The ringing in his ears gradually lowered as his vision improved and feeling returned to his overwhelmed body. The ceiling above him was on fire, and he could feel the heat burning through his clothes.

He realized that he was in the arms of a woman. Both of them were covered in ash and their clothing was torn, but there was not so much as a scratch on either of them. He turned over, ignoring the groaning of the unstable ground on which they lay, and tried to awaken the young woman. Her eyes opened to reveal that deep cerulean-within-azure that was the eyes of an Espelon. He had not heard her voice long enough to recognize it, but he was sure this was Da'an in her new youthful form.

"Speak to me," he said, realizing that his voice was hoarse.

She groaned quietly and coughed from the smoke. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay. Remind me what just happened."

"There has been an explosion," the girl said. "I just barely made it. I saw you in a vision, and I had to come."

_She must have used her telekinesis to shield us from the explosion. _"We have to get out of here. Can you teleport?"

"I cannot see a thing," she replied.

"Then, we have to climb out of here ourselves." He tried to stand, but quickly realized the futility of that action when the smoke and burning ash constricted his lungs and dried out his throat. He dropped to a crawling position and coughed violently, trying to wipe away the burning in his eyes. The girl pulled Liam close to her and covered Liam's eyes. The coolness of her energy calmed him enough for his eyes to start tearing, which washed out the damage the smoke had caused.

"You must be Da'an," Liam said.

"What in the world possessed you to think I wasn't?" she asked him softly.

"I just figured out that I got blown up. Give me a little leeway," Liam said in a raspy voice. He pointed behind Da'an to where he thought was an escape route. "I think I see an opening that way. Let's go."

Suddenly, the skeleton made a loud groan followed by the ear-piercing creak of twisted metal being torn apart. Da'an grabbed Liam by the leg just before Liam could realize that the walls were collapsing. A brilliant white flash blinded Liam. When the flash cleared, he found himself immersed in total darkness. A sharp pain hit him in the back, knocking the breath out of him. The ground was uneven and jagged, cutting his hands as he tried to sit up. He was so dizzy that he contemplated passing out until he heard the agonized scream of a female somewhere above him. It gave him just enough adrenaline to shoot upward and begin his search for Da'an.

He followed the pained whimpers and wails of the voice, but the echo was so strong that Liam was not entirely sure from which direction were the moans coming. Then, he heard a scraping sound, a female's pained gasps, and a thud. He searched in near total darkness in the direction in which he thought he heard the sound. As his vision adjusted to the darkness, Liam found a faint blue light. He raced towards it and found Da'an lying on the uneven ground.

Her façade was fading in and out, she had tiny lacerations on her hands and face, and painted on her face was a look of paralyzed agony. As Liam examined her body, he realized why. A razor sharp and rusted piece of metal had permanently fused with her knee. Tiny streams of energy escaped in holes that marked where the metal ended and her leg began. It cut straight through her knee at a diagonal angle pointing towards the ceiling. Part of it was twisted and crumpled as if it had been ripped from a larger source, and Liam realized that Da'an, with no sense of direction in which to teleport, had accidentally teleported into a piece of what was once the ceiling of the subterranean tunnels. Writhing in pain as she dangled helplessly only by her knee, she had lost her grip of Liam's leg and dropped him. Somehow, she had found a way to cut herself off the ceiling and had plummeted to the ground shortly after.

"Oh my God!" was the whisper that was Liam's reaction. He gently lay her on his lap and took her hand. It was stiff and cold, indicating that Da'an had indeed gone into shock. He tried to pick her up, but she cried out in pain and dug her hand so deeply into his arm that she bruised him. "It's okay," he assured her. "I'm going to get you out of here. Just bear with me."

As he carried Da'an through the sea of twisted metal, cracked cement, and snowing ash seen only through tiny pockets of light (which was probably coming from the fires above them), Liam wondered if Da'an had foreseen this moment. Perhaps that was why she had stayed with him when everyone else had abandoned him or turned him away. _But for just this moment? No. There has to be more to it._

* * *

By the time Link made it to the scene, the sun was red over the horizon, and Link could not help but note the irony. The American Capitol looked like a war zone. Link could see flashing lights and hear sirens everywhere. Panicked people staggered down Pennsylvania Avenue in a frantic search for both safety and their loved ones. Link had to show his badge to at least 40 officers just to get into ground zero. The area between the Taelon embassy and the Washington Monument looked like a junkyard full of alien debris. Construction crews were cleaning as best as they could while the firefighters worked to put out the burning skeleton of the Taelon Embassy before it collapsed completely. Ambulances had converged to form a makeshift triage clinic. That was where Link saw Renee in a hypothermia blanket yelling at a fire chief. Joshua Doors was with her and trying to act as a mediator.

"With the crews you have now, how long will it take to get to survivors?" Joshua asked the fire chief.

"We've put most of the fires out, but we need to establish how safe it is to dig through the wreckage," the fire chief said. "We can't dig through an unstable structure."

"And while you're wasting time evaluating the wreckage, people could be dying in there," Renee said frantically.

"We don't even know how many people were in that building when it exploded," the fire chief exclaimed in a frustrated tone. "For all we know, no one was in there. The head counts keep changing."

"What does it matter how many people were in there? I don't care if just one person was in there! We need to get him out," Renee cried.

"All right, ma'am, you need to step back and let us do our job," the fire chief said, indicating he had had enough.

Joshua dragged Renee away from the fire chief to prevent her for hitting him. Link decided to talk to the fire chief himself.

"Sir!" he called to the fire chief, once Renee and Joshua were far enough away. He revealed to the chief his badge and saluted him. "CIA."

"What can I do for you, sir?" the fire chief asked.

"Brigadier General, actually," Link corrected. "My superiors and I have reason to believe that a Taelon was in the building when it exploded."

"I didn't hear anything about it," the chief said, "and since when does the CIA worry about Taelons? I thought that was the FBI's job."

"I can't go into specific details, but this Taelon works directly for the CIA."

"Using Taelon double-agents to spy on their own species? I never thought I'd see the day."

"How soon can you start the search for survivors?"

"If nothing else goes wrong, about an hour."

"What can I do to help speed things up?" Link asked.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say just stand back and let us do our job," the fire chief said, "but you're a government employee. Maybe that badge of yours can help us out."

"How?"

"We have some drilling equipment coming in, but it's having trouble getting through all the traffic. See if you can use that influence of yours to help it get through."

"No problem, but when you do finally start the search for survivors, you let me know first and foremost," Link said firmly. "If that Taelon's still alive, my people are the ones who will get her out."

"Her?" the fire chief asked.

"Ease of reference. You know Taelons are gender neutral."

"Hmm," the chief nodded. "You sound like one of the few good ones. I'll see what I can do. The equipment's coming down Pennsylvania now."

Link nodded and pulled out his global. Christine picked up the receiver.

"Have you learned anything?" Christine asked.

"It's chaos down here," Link said. "I've seen uniforms from eight different security agencies in the last 15 minutes, and that's not even counting local emergency response teams. Everyone's waiting for the firefighters to secure the building to search for survivors."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I've just spoken with the chief. If there are any Taelon survivors, I'm the first one who sees them, but it'll take at least an hour for them to declare the building secure. That means we need to find another way to determine if she's here…and alive."

"I'm at the Pentagon right now. I'll bring some surveillance equipment," Christine said following a long sigh.

"Thanks," Link said. Christine's scornful look prevented him from hanging up. "What's the matter?"

"You lied to me," Christine said. "You're in love with her."

"Can we talk about this later?" Link asked.

"Sure, and we _will_ talk about it," Christine said firmly.

Link closed the receiver with a queasy feeling. However, he could not let it get to him, not when Da'an was in danger. He found Renee and Joshua sitting together under one of the corporate tents that had been converted into a triage camp. Renee was hunched over and breathing heavily. Link slowly and cautiously approached the two and gently stroked Renee's back. She darted upward. When she recognized Link, she leapt into his arms.

"Rembrandt," Renee breathed.

"You're the lawyer," Joshua said.

"I'm a lot of things," Link responded. "I just spoke with the fire chief."

"Yeah, so did I," Renee muttered. "He won't tell me anything, and he says it'll take at least an hour just to start looking for Liam. I don't know what I'm going to do, Rembrandt."

"The only thing we can do right now is let the firemen do their job, but…" he trailed off and stared at Joshua.

Renee nodded in acknowledgement. "Joshua, would you excuse us?" Renee asked, her face growing paler by the second.

"Yeah, sure," Joshua said. "I'll go get one of the doctors. You're way too pale."

"Yeah, well, I don't feel so good," Renee mumbled following Link to a place where Joshua could not hear them.

"So it really happened," Renee said. "Everything you said would happen happened. Hubble really did it, and we couldn't stop him."

"We did stop Hubble," Link explained. "It wasn't him. It would've been, but when we were about to arrest him, somebody else took over."

"The priests?" Renee asked in shock.

"It was Nu'na," Link said tonelessly.

"Nu'na?" Renee whispered. "I should've known! I can't believe Da'an was wrong."

"She wasn't wrong," Link said.

"What?" Renee asked in disbelief. "She knew that Nu'na was doing this and she—?"

"I can't explain everything right now, but…I didn't just come here to see about you and Liam," Link said slowly.

"What is it? Did Da'an send you here with her regards?" Renee asked bitterly.

"Da'an's here, Renee," Link said seriously.

Renee froze. "What are you talking about?"

"I have reason to believe that Da'an was in the building with Liam…when it exploded."

Renee balled her hands into fists. _Of course! When I tried to call her, the phone went dead! _"Why did she—I mean, how did she know?"

"I don't think she did until the last minute," Link said, "but I tried to call her, and her global's dead. I called Augur on the way here. He said she left suddenly just before the coronation finished."

"Then, maybe she and Liam are still…"

"I won't know until I find her," Link said, "but I'm not believing she's gone until I see what's left of her essence myself."

"They could be dying in there," Renee said, panting heavily. "We have to do something to get to them."

"I've already contacted a friend. She's bringing some equipment that can help us find her," Link said. "Ma'ri and her team are probably on their way too."

Renee could stand it no longer. She turned away from Link, dropped to her knees and vomited. Link darted down with her and caressed her back as she purged herself of everything she had eaten that day.

"Are you all right?" Link asked her, continuing to caress her back. He pulled out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket for her to wipe her mouth.

"I'm fine," Renee said, wiping her mouth. "It's just the stress."

"Is that all it is?" Link asked her seriously.

"What do you know about it?"

"I know you've been acting weird ever since…" he stopped when he accidentally pressed his hand against Renee's abdomen. That was when he felt the whispers of a tiny life form growing within her body. "You're pregnant!"

Renee whirled around as best as she could to face him with her hand still covering her mouth.

"I sensed it. My Taelon energy reacted to it," Link said, "just like it reacted to Da'an when I first met her. That's why you're here, isn't it? That's why you're so determined to find Liam. He's the father."

"I didn't come here to tell him," Renee said. "I wanted to wait until I had seen the doctor."

"What do you need a doctor for? Is there something wrong with it?"

"I didn't know I was pregnant…and I drank. The child might be…deformed."

"What does it matter whether or not the baby's deformed?" Link asked. "You should have told Liam the second you found out…unless…unless you're planning to get rid of it."

"Don't judge me," Renee said. "Not now. Right now, all I want—all I need—is for him to be alive. I can't lose him, Rembrandt. If he dies without knowing, I'll never forgive myself. You have to help me find him."

_I knew there was a reason why Da'an went to that damn party._ "You should go back to Joshua at the medical tent and get some rest."

"Not until I find Liam."

"There's nothing we can do right now," Link said. "Just go back to Joshua and wait for my agent to—"

Link was interrupted by another explosion. This one came from underground and was so powerful that it shook the ground. The screams of frightened people and the frantic chattering of the rescue workers were like a second echo to the explosion. What was left of the embassy once again burst into flames. Link watched the medics race to the source. It appeared that several of the firefighters had been caught in this explosion. Renee grabbed Link's hand in a desperate plea for hope. Unfortunately, Link could not give it to her. Even if Da'an had survived, which was still possible, the chances of Liam's survival had just taken a swift blow.

* * *

Da'an had violently regained full awareness when Liam hoisted her over his shoulders. The sound of her whimpering probably should have disturbed or even frustrated Liam. Instead, it relieved him, for each cry of pain indicated that she was still alive. As he carried her, she clawed at Liam's arms as if that would alleviate the pain. He was sure that her grip would leave bruises, possibly cuts. But all Liam cared about at this time was getting Da'an to safety before the embassy collapsed completely. As long as Da'an was awake and moving, he did not mind the pain.

Suddenly, Da'an cried out, "Stop! Stop it! I can't take it anymore!"

Liam bent his knees, gently lifted Da'an over his head and placed her on the ground.

"I know this hurts," Liam tried to say compassionately in order to hide his frustration and distress, "but we need to keep moving—"

"You know nothing of the sort!" Da'an said sharply. "Every second I endure with this thing in my leg is agony. You have to get it out!"

"That thing is fused to your leg," Liam said. "I can't pull it out. It's a part of you now. You have to bear with it a little longer and we'll have Ta'lay surgically remove it."

"No Liam," Da'an said, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "You must get rid of it. I am slowing you down."

"How do you propose we do that?" Liam asked, dreading the obvious answer.

Da'an blushed both in pain and in fear. "Use your sha'quarava to remove the leg."

Liam collapsed on to his side. "No," he panted. "I won't do it."

"You must!"

"Are you insane? I'm not cutting off your leg!"

"You have no choice!"

"Will you listen to yourself?" Liam yelled. "That thing is infecting your judgment. If I cut off the leg, you'll bleed to death."

"Think logically, Liam."

"I _am_ thinking logically! I don't have to do this!" Liam yelled.

Da'an grabbed him by his shirt to keep him from turning away. "Listen to me, Liam," she said through her teeth. "The piece of metal is fused with my knee, but it's still cutting off crucial energy flow to the bottom of my leg. Eventually, the whole thing will decay and collapse."

"I could have you out by then. Maybe way before then. It won't take us long to get away from the wreckage. Once we're safe, I'll take you to the surface and to a hospital. Ta'lay can remove it there."

"It's going to come off no matter what!" Da'an continued. "Ta'lay cannot help me. She is not even on Earth right now. Don't you remember?"

"Then, we'll have Dr. Curzon do it!"

"She lacks the know-how! Liam, no matter what, by the time we reach any facility, my leg is going to come off. If we wait, I will suffer a massive infection. I could die!"

"We don't know that's what'll happen!"

"That is what's going to happen and you know it!" Da'an shouted.

"I cut it off now, you'll die anyway from massive _energy loss_."

"If you take the leg now, you can keep me from becoming infected. My body will compensate for the loss. It will seal the wound."

"It may not do it fast enough!" Liam protested. "Once I cut off the leg, you'll bleed profusely. I'm not gonna let you die in my arms!"

"It doesn't take that long," Da'an said. "Only 15 to 30 minutes."

"That's too long!"

"Maybe I can buy some time if I put myself in _sam'haad_."

"No!" Liam yelled. "Goddamn it! No! This is not an option!"

"Liam, it's the only way!" she begged, grabbing Liam's hands. "You just do this for me. Please."

Liam wrenched free and turned away. Da'an tried to re-position herself to speak to Liam once more, but the pain from moving was too immense. Liam gazed at his palms and watched them glow as if they were trying to persuade him to carry out this harebrained idea.

"The longer we argue about this, the less time we will have before the embassy collapses," Da'an warned.

Liam could not believe he was considering using his sha'quarava to saw off his friend—his mentor's leg. However, he could not shake the possibility of Da'an being correct. What if he was unable to get her to a hospital before her wound became infected? What if the infection killed her? And what of the constant pain she would have to endure along the way? At least if he cut away the infected area, she could regain control of her pain receptors. However, he would have less time to get her medical help.

"Oh God," Liam whispered, cursing his choice. "All right. I'll do it."

Da'an sighed with relief.

Liam found a loose chunk of cement and placed Da'an's wounded leg over it, using it like a cutting board. He pulled off his tattered jacket and held it over Da'an. "It's less painful if you can't see it," he explained.

"It will be painful no matter what," Da'an protested. "You take it. Shield yourself from the debris."

Liam sighed and tied the jacket over his face so that only his eyes were visible. Now, more than ever, he resembled an executioner, and that's exactly what he felt like. He bent over on one knee, using the other leg like a joist to keep him steady. Then, he joined his hands together by linking his thumbs so that he could combine the energy that would blast from both palms. Just one concentrated shot would slice through Da'an's leg as easily as a knife cuts through butter.

"Just look away," Liam whispered, readying his sha'quarava.

Da'an clenched her fists and closed her eyes.

It was over in less than a second. The energy blast tore through Da'an's leg and the makeshift cutting board. The leg disintegrated immediately. The cursed piece of metal blasted outwards along with a plethora of debris. Liam himself was thrust backwards and landed on his back. Throughout the sounds and sensations, the one sound that stuck to him the most was Da'an's horrible scream. He heard a rumbling and the sound of metal buckling. Liam feared that the building was about to collapse on top of them, but when he saw the walls of the tunnels twist and buckle on their own and cement chunks burst into flames, he knew that the rumbling was coming from Da'an, who has temporarily lost control of her powers amidst the agony.

He rushed back to her and found her clawing at the ground and panting sharply from the pain. Clouds of energy gushed from her leg. Liam took her stiffened body and cradled her until she lost consciousness. He had no time to comfort her any longer nor to examine her and see if she had really put herself in _sam'haad_. He picked her up and carried her once more through the tunnels. If he could make it to the piping system, he would come to the entrance to the city tunnel system. There, he would find a safe exit to the surface.

As he ran, his thoughts drifted to this new form of Da'an's. He first saw it when he delivered the relic to Da'an. It had shocked him how youthful she looked. Part of him felt appalled. Da'an had always been his mentor, his elder—dare he say it, a parent. Now, she looked younger than he. He realized, however, that in the short time Da'an had had her new body, she had compensated though her voice. Even though Da'an looked young enough to be his little sister, the depth of her vocal tones and the careful attention to volume kept Liam in line. She had the body of a college girl and the voice of a mother. Even though hindsight always found this aspect disturbing and confusing, in the heat of the moment, Da'an sounded and acted like his elder, and Liam had obeyed.

But as Liam gazed at the girl in his arms, Liam wondered if this was really what Da'an wanted from him. She must have known that he would not play the obedient child forever. Even if he saw Da'an as a parent, eventually Liam would have to stand on his own. Was that not what he was supposed to learn from being expelled from the ANA? This awkward game of tug-of-war between his youth and his maturity only made this situation all the more ironic. Perhaps this is what all children who first become adults must endure. Da'an's new form only accented the feelings.

As he continued his pursuit, he could feel Da'an squirming in his arms. _So she didn't go into sam'haad. That's good…and bad._

He heard her groan quietly, and he knew that she was fully awake.

"I thought I'd lost you there for a moment," Liam said, trying to tone it to where it sounded humorous.

"How far are we?" Da'an asked weakly.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think we're close to the southwest quadrant of the embassy's tunnels. Just a little bit longer and we'll be in the piping system. Then, we'll be able to exit into the city tunnels and surface," Liam explained.

He felt Da'an yelp at something and she told him to stop.

"We can't stop now. Not anymore. We have to keep going," Liam protested.

"Stop!" she yelled.

Liam stopped and examined Da'an. She was trying to see over his shoulder, and Liam turned around to figure out where she was looking. Then, he saw it. It was embedded in the walls of the tunnel. Liam lay Da'an down and cautiously peered into the tiny hole. His angle was limited, but he could faintly see the giant hole through which it fell. It was glowing blue. It was wrapped in a silver vine-like ball, and it was pulsing.

"Is that what I think it is?" Liam asked Da'an, slowing backing away from the giant alien boulder.

"It was only a partial explosion," Da'an said. "When it fell through the hole, it must have reactivated on its own. It's the bomb, Liam."

"At least what's left of it. Let's go!" Liam yelled, scooping up Da'an and running for his life.

Da'an balled herself up and ducked into his chest to lighten herself and lower resistance.

"If we make it to the pipes, we'll be okay!" Liam yelled more for himself than for Da'an.

Then, the bomb exploded. Liam and Da'an did not hear a blast, but they saw the brilliant flash out of the corner of their eyes and they felt the violent push. Liam lurched forward praying that he would hit the ground quickly and miss the coming wave of fire. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain stab him in the back.

Da'an heard the sound of tearing flesh, and when she felt Liam's body go limp after they hit the ground, Da'an knew that Liam had been wounded. The ceiling buckled under the tremendous pressure. Da'an used her telekinesis to keep it from crushing them, and it became a crude blast shield. Da'an could feel the weight of the collapsing debris pinning her and Liam more in the ground, and Da'an feared for Liam being crushed. She used her telekinesis as best she could to protect him, but she was not sure whether it had been enough. When the sounds finally stopped, Da'an pushed the mountain of debris with all of her strength. The remaining embers were their only source of light, but Da'an knew their path had not been blocked. She gently pulled herself from under Liam's weight and examined his injuries. She found a jagged piece of metal imbedded in his lower back. The cut was so clean that it had not yet had time to bleed.

Da'an lightly pushed Liam's shoulders trying to wake him. He jerked back into consciousness. Then, the blood oozed from his wound, and Liam sputtered blood and mucus.

"Oh, Liam," Da'an whimpered in fear.

"Oh God," he grunted. "Am I…?"

"No. You're still alive."

"Of course," Liam groaned miserably. _If I were dead, I wouldn't be in so much pain._

"Liam, I cannot move," Da'an said, motioning towards the stump that used to be her leg.

"It's okay," Liam said. "I'm going to get you out of here."

He tried to pick up Da'an, but the pain in his back was too horrible. Now, Liam understood what Da'an had been going through earlier. Every motion meant pain in his back. His legs were still shaking from the explosion, and his elbows had been skinned, he was sure, to the bone. Da'an took Liam's hand. It glowed blue, and Da'an winced. Liam felt his strength returning to him, and he realized that Da'an was using her powers to share his pain. The pain had lowered to a mild discomfort, while the rest of his body felt lighter than air. The blood trickling down his back even tickled him a little. He did not know exactly where he was going, but so long as it was not back from where they came, he did not care.

* * *

Christine arrived just in time to see the second explosion. She and a group of six agents came with the surveillance equipment into a sea of flashing emergency lights. Reporters were standing as close as the police were willing to let them talking about how many injured and dead there were on the scene. According to them, at least 16 people in the Washington sight alone were missing, 83 were injured so far, and five were dead. When the second explosion occurred, some were screaming about it while others stood speechless.

"Spread out, create a perimeter," she told the agents. "Remember, we're looking for Taelon energy."

"Yes ma'am," one of the agents said taking the surveillance equipment.

Christine then darted into the crowds to search for Link. She found him standing underneath a tent with a blonde in his arms. Joshua Doors was yelling into his global. Link saw Christine waving at him and sat the blonde down on a chair. They locked hands for a second before Link rushed towards Christine.

"How many women do you have under your belt for this job?" Christine asked folding his arms.

"Her boyfriend just got blown up, and she's pregnant with his son. Cut me some slack," Link said. "Did you bring the equipment?"

"They're setting up now although it looks like this is gonna be more of a retrieval than a rescue."

"Don't even joke about that," Link said fiercely.

"Wow, someone's getting awfully emotional," Christine said. "You seem pretty broken up about this for someone who told me just a few nights ago that this woman was nothing and her daughter a liability."

"Yeah, I'm a real genius at controlling my emotions," Link said sarcastically. "You wanna bring up those promises you never intended to keep while you're at it? Because you're acting awfully jealous considering _you_ broke _my_ heart."

"Typical that you would bring that up when this has nothing to do with me," Christine said sharply.

"You're right. This isn't about me. This is about my girlfriend and my friend who are now trapped in that burning, collapsing building. And I'd like to get them out."

"And what are you going to do when I do find them? If she's still alive, what are you gonna do? You'll be reassigned to God-knows-where. Do you honestly think she'll follow you? Huh? Uproot the kid? Or are you so selfish that all you care about is yourself and what she can do for you?"

"Why are we even talking about this now?"

"You listen to me. I've got a list of violations you've made as long as the Mississippi right now," Christine said sharply. "If Jonah finds out that you've compromised your identity under my supervision, it's my ass on the line too. I shouldn't even be here! I should be processing Urick, writing my report and turning the case over to Jonah. Were you even thinking about that when you took her? Or were you too focused on making it with an alien babe?"

"She is not an alien babe! She's my…"

"What? Your what?"

"She's the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with," Link said seriously.

"After only a few months, you're so sure about that?"

"How much longer do I need?" Link asked. "I'll admit that a lot of this relationship was built on a wing and a prayer—maybe just a plain lie. But what I feel for her and Ariel is…indescribable. I've spent just nine months with this woman, and I don't know how to live without her. She's incredible. She's amazing. I love her, Christine."

"That's a problem," Christine said. "You told me yourself. We're the job. That became our way of life the moment we decided to join. We gave up friends, family, and us for this job. We did it because we're damn good at it."

"What's the matter, Christine? Worried that you'll lose one of your best agents, your only Taelon-human hybrid agent?"

"I'm afraid that this woman is robbing you of your edge, and if she's clouded your judgment in any way, I have to take that into account when I write my report."

"Are you blaming all of this on me?"

"I'm saying that if you two knew more about this than you're letting on, then I need to hold you accountable. And don't think I won't either. I love you, Alex. God knows I do, but if I have to…"

"Are you placing me under arrest?" Link asked folding his arms. "Or are you giving me a head start to disappear in Europe, Russia, or some other corner of the world?"

Christine said nothing, but she returned to Link's folded arms a stern look.

"Christine, I can't judge you for being the job," Link said. "I understand the position I've put you in, but believe me, my judgment is not clouded. In fact it's clearer than it's ever been."

"Then, what are we doing here? Why aren't we sitting back and letting the locals handle this like we're supposed to?"

"Do what you have to do," Link said, "but before you do, give me this."

Christine shook her head in pity. "She'd better be worth it is all I have to say." She pointed to Renee, who was staring at the two in confusion. "Let's go tell your white girl who I am and what I'm doing here," she said with a wink.

Link nodded and followed her. However, when Christine explained that she was a resistance member from a deeply hidden cell, Link had to let Christine do all the talking. His mind was focused on the black skeleton that was the embassy, the skeleton that was leaning over on one side, unstable and frighteningly close to total collapse. He had a hunch that Da'an and Liam were not in the building when it exploded a second time. His eyes drifted toward the ground, and he wondered if this feeling he was experiencing was more than just a hunch. Then, his mind wandered toward that bizarre experience at the asylum, where Ma'el or some form of had possessed Da'an and taught him the bitter lesson of how to listen.

_She is calling to you…_

* * *

The underground pipes had miraculously been spared from the explosion. The tunnels in this section were too deep and well fortified. Remarkably, walking downhill was like walking uphill to Liam. He had that same light-headedness most climbers feel when they reach the top of a mountain. Occasionally, he would peer over Da'an to make sure she was all right and to make sure his vision was not failing. Her eyes were closed, but she was not unconscious. She was in a deep meditative state, trying to help Liam focus by absorbing most of his pain and any other harmful symptoms of blood loss. His lower back was wet with blood. Liam could actually smell it. He wondered how he was still breathing, much less walking with an Espelon in his arms.

The stump that had once been Da'an's leg had crusted over, Liam could see, as if her body had created a natural tourniquet made of crystallized energy. It was not complete, however. Liam could see tidbits of energy escaping from the wound. Her channeling of Liam's pain to her was slowing the process. Both of them were still running out of time.

Liam carefully made his way down the stairs where the entrance to the city tunnels should lay in wait. He recognized the sight immediately. The same small gap in the wall where Da'an had hidden to lure the replicant, the catwalk above where Liam had waited to make the ambush, even the cement corner where he had been hurled by the powerful creature—nothing had changed.

"Da'an," he whispered quietly, noticing the hoarseness of his voice.

She slowly opened her eyes.

"This is where I destroyed the replicant. My first assignment as your protector."

Da'an smiled.

How simpler it seemed back then. He had been so young and ambitious, eager to brave the challenges of a new world and eager for a cause. He had wanted to fight with the Liberation Movement on behalf of humanity. It had seemed like a choice when he made it, but for the last few months, Liam had wondered, did he make that choice, or had it ever been a choice?

He could not believe it had only been three years, three years since he had been born. The perspective was refreshing. Now, more than ever, Liam could see how much he had grown, and he could tell that Da'an was pondering the same things that he was.

Suddenly, Liam felt pain on his right side, where his liver was. A sinking feeling followed, and Liam collapsed just before he could reach the giant steel door that was the entrance to the city tunnels. The last thing he felt was Da'an rolling out of his arms. Even in the darkness, his mind continued to wander. He thought about his accomplishments, his behavior throughout his life, and the friends that he had both made and lost. He wondered what kind of legacy he would leave behind for both his species and how he would be remembered. He wondered if his parents, Ha'gel, Siobhan Beckett, and Ronald Sandoval, had all been wondering the same things as their lives flashed before their eyes and they passed into eternal judgment. Of course they did, he realized. Then, he wondered if anyone was ever satisfied with the life they were leaving behind.

* * *

The skeleton of the embassy was warbling and leaning like a disturbed artist's depiction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it held its own. The sun had finally vanished over the horizon, and only twilight remained as the firefighters dug through the wreckage for survivors. Christine had used her status to secure another drill for wherever they found Da'an's energy signature. Renee and Joshua waited with hardhats behind the firemen as they dug, dreading the moment that they would have to be the ones to identify Liam's charred corpse.

However, Link remained in the now empty medical tent, sitting on the grass with his back against a metal chair that was too dirty to sit on. All of his other senses had temporarily been disabled as he quieted his mind the way Ma'el had taught him and listened to the voices. Anyone who saw him now would have mistaken him for some oddly placed statue. His breathing was so quiet and so concentrated that only the best-trained eye could see it. His eyes were open and focused, but they saw nothing. The cold breeze stiffened the hairs on his arms, but he did not shiver. The only thing that Link could feel and hear was the beating of his heart. It was a metronome keeping time as he listened for a voice, a whisper, or any indication that his beloved was alive and calling for him.

Amidst the commotion surrounding him, Link's inner universe was silent and static. In the quiet of his mind, Link heard what he originally mistook for the wind. However, this breeze, although quiet, was short and sharp. Link focused on the faint whisper within the wind, hoping that was what it was. As he focused more on the sound, its volume increased. Link could hear not only the whisper, but also the feedback associated with a sentient mind. The faint and gentle whisper of a female calling him by his real name…

_Alex…_

_Da'an. Show me where you are. Let me see._

Link's eyes blinked, closing one door and opening another in less than a second. He saw a maze of metal pipes and catwalks. He heard the clanking from any number of tiny anonymous objects peeling off the walls and bouncing against the metal. He smelled the residue of steam and rust.

_The subterranean tunnels…_

The image of the pipes compressed and focused until it came to a large steel door that looked like the heavy door of a meat locker.

_By the city entrance!_

He leapt to his feet and ran to find Christine. She was sitting on her bent knees trying to isolate Da'an's energy signature. However, this had proven easier said than done. Da'an's alien signature was just one of many alien energy signatures emanating from the embassy. She tried to isolate it, but the fire had altered the chemical structure of the energies and thus their spectral frequencies.

"How much longer?" Renee asked Christine.

"Just a few more minutes," Christine said. "It's searching for a pure signature. If we find that, we'll find her."

"She's not here," Link interrupted.

Christine, Joshua, and Renee stared quizzically at Link.

"You're focusing on the embassy itself and everything underneath. Widen the radius," Link said, pointing to the south, "that way."

"What are you saying?" Renee asked. "Where is she?"

"The subterranean tunnels by the city entrance," Link said.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Christine said. "There's no way she got that far."

"Trust me. She's there," Link said.

"But how do you know?" Joshua asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Link said. "Give that drill back to the firemen. Tell them we need one of their portables and to bring a medical team stat."

He brought Renee closer to him. "Call Ma'ri. Tell her and her team to get over here fast."

* * *

Awareness slowly returned to Da'an when she felt the hard impact of the floor. She turned over on to her side and saw Liam lying motionless on his stomach with his arms by his sides and his eyes open in shock. She crawled to him and carefully removed his tattered jacket. The oxford shirt underneath was soaked in dark red blood. The area surrounding the piece of metal had turned purple and swollen. His skin was damp from perspiration and the color of chalk. Da'an placed a finger against Liam's neck in search of a pulse. It was there, but it was faint. His breathing was so shallow she could barely feel it much less hear it.

She lay on her chest atop Liam's upper back and took his hand. "Liam, please don't leave me," she begged quietly. "You must get up. We are so close."

It was dark where Liam was and there was no sound but a faint whisper, a female's voice begging him to stay with her.

"Liam, you must get up!" she cried. "You cannot leave. Not yet. You cannot give up."

Even if Liam could respond to her, he was too tired to try. All he wanted right now was to fall asleep and for the pain to leave him.

"Damn you, Liam! You are stronger than this! Think of what you are leaving behind! Think about the people who love you. People like me."

He had to admit that she was right. He had left behind a lot of unfinished business. But he had seen that life, and for some reason, leaving now did not seem so bad.

"I love you so much, Liam. You are like a son to me, but you cannot be a son to me any longer. You are a man, Liam. You have been for a long time. You are ready to stand on your own and make your own choices. You have proven that to me."

_Da'an, _his failing mind thought, _my mentor. My…surrogate. Mother._

"I did not want to tell you this," she said in an exhausted yet sound whisper. "I thought that she should be the one to tell you. It belonged to you and her. It was no business of mine. But I can feel how exhausted you are, how close you are to the void. Liam, I love you. I would die for you as you would die for me. I had a vision of you dying in the explosion. I could not let that happen. No matter what, I could not let you die…but however strong my love is for you, that's not the reason why I saved you. It was the reason why I wanted to save you, but not why I had to try. I had to try because of Renee. She is so frightened, Liam. She needs you now more than ever. You cannot leave her alone."

Liam's eyes widened, and his heartbeat increased pace.

"_Liam, Renee…is with…child."_

Liam's strength returned to him like a thunderbolt. His whole body ached as he grounded his hands and pushed himself off the floor with Da'an steadying him by holding his waist. His breathing was shallow, sharp, and raspy, and his whole body was in vertigo, but he was upright and he was staring at the steel door, determined to get it opened.

"Da'an, I…"

But Da'an placed two fingers over his mouth and hugged him as he stood. With all the strength he had left and more, Liam gripped the steel handle and pulled. His trembling body pulled the door open, where a welcoming light pointed like a beacon to a ladder only a few yards away that would lead them to the street and out of this hellish maze.

He tried to lean over and pick up Da'an, but he stumbled and nearly crashed on top of her. He stopped himself with his hand, and he grunted as he picked her up and carried her to the ladder.

As soon as they reached it, the manhole miraculously came off. Liam turned inquisitively to Da'an, but she shook her head. Liam blocked the glare from the flashlights above with his hand. The lights went away, and Link's head replaced them.

"Looks like you and I had the same idea," Link said to Liam.

Liam wheezed a relieved laugh and plopped down on his side. Link shouted for the two to watch their heads as a portable darted through the hole and into the wall. Link and Renee appeared through the portable and embraced their two mates. Secure in his lover's arms, Liam collapsed from exhaustion and let her gentle arms carry him away.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Link and Ariel rushed to the medical wing of the ANA building. Fortunately for Da'an, Ma'ri had brought an Espelon medical officer with her who assisted Dr. Curzon in sealing Da'an's leg. Link opened the door to Da'an's bed and found her talking with Mi'en and Augur.

Ariel raced to her mother, who eagerly embraced her.

"Uncle Augur and Aunt Mi'en were really worried about you, but I knew you'd be okay," Ariel said kissing Da'an's cheek. "I told them that you promised you would never leave me."

"I sure did, didn't I?" Da'an said with a laugh. "I'm sorry we couldn't give you a better Christmas this year."

"But I liked this Christmas," Ariel said with a big smile. "We saw The Nutcracker, we had a tree, we went ice skating, and I had lots of food and presents. Besides, your leg will grow back."

"How long did they say it would take?" Link asked her.

"Four weeks," Da'an said. "I'll have to be in a wheelchair until then."

"They're going to keep her for a few days to make sure that her energy's fully replenished," Mi'en added.

Link nodded and a serious look appeared on his face. Mi'en nodded in acknowledgment and watched some television with Ariel to distract her.

"How's Liam?" Augur asked in a low voice.

"He's out of surgery," Link said, "minus a kidney, but he's still critical. He lost a lot of blood, and he had an infection. He's under the care of a Dr. Belman in the ICU."

"Dr. Belman's taking care of him?" Augur asked. "Huh."

"I take it you know this woman."

"She was the chief human medical physician of companion protectors before the role was passed to Dr. Curzon," Da'an said. "She is also a senior member of the resistance. Renee must have called her when they asked for Liam's blood type."

Link breathed a heavy sigh. "They don't know if he's gonna make it through the night."

The group fell silent.

"Is Renee still at the hospital?" Augur finally asked.

"Yeah," Link said. "There's a whole group of co-workers and 'friends,' camped out right now, and I think you know what I mean when I say 'friends.' "

"I know what you mean," Augur said.

Da'an nodded in confirmation.

"Well, I'd better go check on Renee," Augur said. "I'm glad you're all right, Da'an."

"Thank you," Da'an said.

"You'll let me know about—"

"You will know when I am ready," Da'an said.

Augur took Mi'en and left to go to the hospital. When they were gone, Link feverishly embraced Da'an and peppered her with kisses.

"You are gonna give me a heart attack one of these days," Link said as he kissed her.

"I'm sorry," Da'an said. "But I had to try."

"Yeah, well, try to promise me that you'll never do something that crazy again," Link said, looking her in the eye.

"You know I can't do that," Da'an said, "but I will try for you."

"I must love you to put myself through all of this," Link said.

"You should go home and get some rest," Da'an said.

"I'd never be able to do it," Link said. "No, I think I'll stay right here with you and my girl."

"Before you make yourself at home, I need you to do one more thing for me," Da'an said. "It is important."

Link sighed. "What is it?"

Da'an whispered it to Link. Link nodded that he understood, gave Da'an and Ariel a big kiss, and left the room.

Da'an stared out her window and found it cloudy outside, and she chuckled. "Funny how the weather on this planet tends to reflect your mood."

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Ariel asked.

"I'm fine," Da'an said. "It's going to snow pretty soon. Just waiting for the sky to break."

"I want to see it snow, Mommy," Ariel said eagerly. "Can you read to me until it starts? I don't want to fall asleep."

Da'an took the copy of _The Oresteia_ from Ariel's hands and scooted to the side allowing Ariel to lay next to her.

"What were we on?"

"_The Eumenides_," Ariel said.

"Very well," Da'an said, opening the book.

* * *

Renee had heard condolence after condolence from virtually every friend, co-worker, and resistance partner that Liam had ever known. It amazed her how quick they were to feel sympathy for him after turning their backs on him during the elections. Maybe this was their sad, desperate attempt to atone. Either way, Renee did not need this.

The only condolences she took for their worth were the ones from Liam's co-workers. She never thought she would see the day that she would confide in minions of the companions and treat resistance members (some she had known all her life) with hostility. But then, nothing about this situation felt right. Dr. Belman had seen her about her pregnancy. The good news was that she had not miscarried during the pandemonium. The bad news was that because Renee did not tell her to look for it, she still had no idea if the child was normal. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and pray that tomorrow would reveal this as a terrible nightmare. But she would be damned if Liam died on her while she was asleep. So she waited as patiently as the situation warranted. Even as the number of friends and co-workers diminished, she sat awake in the waiting room, until Link was the only one left with her.

"Thanks for staying with me through all of this," Renee said. "I know you probably want to be with Da'an right now."

"It's okay," Link said. "You needed someone to help you fight off the fair-weather well-wishers."

"More like conceited leeches," Renee said bitterly. "They can burn in hell for all I care. At least Liam's co-workers were nice. He's developed quite the little clique with them."

"Well, you can't expect every companion agent to be the devil," Link said.

"I guess not," Renee said with a long sigh. "So how's Da'an?"

"Her stem, as I like to call it, sealed itself before her energy loss could become critical. So they just gave her a double dose of an energy shower. They say the leg will grow back in about a month or so."

"Was she okay when you left her?"

"Yeah, she was fine. Talking and everything. Ariel's with her right now."

"That's good," Renee choked, bursting into tears.

Link hugged Renee and let her cry on his shoulder. "He's gonna be all right, Renee," Link said. "He's young and strong."

"I know. I just feel like if I hadn't been such a bitch to him, none of this would've happened. I let that bastard Hubble and all that hogwash from the elections get to me. I was so selfish. I could see that he was in pain. He needed me, and I was too busy thinking about myself."

"It is not your fault that this happened," Link said, "or that he was in the embassy. He was just doing his job."

"But maybe if we hadn't separated, he would've stayed outside. We could've talked together, spent the day together—anything just to keep him out of that building."

"He couldn't have spent all day with you. He had a job to do. Look, you can't beat yourself up over this, Renee."

"I just wish that I could've saved him. If Da'an had just called me, maybe I could've—"

"Then, you would've been blown to smithereens too. Da'an knew what she was doing when she ran into the embassy. She only had a few seconds, and she knew that only she could save him."

"It seems like it'll be for nothing if he dies."

"Look at me, Renee," Link said, bringing her eyes parallel to his. "Do you love him?"

"Of course I do."

"And I know he loves you. That's why he's gonna be okay. He has something to fight for in there, someone like you, and come hell or high water, he will return to you. He knows that you two need each other. I know we tease you about it, but you two really are made for each other."

Renee wiped away her tears and fell back on the couch. "Rembrandt, tell me something, something important."

"Yeah?"

"Who are you?" Renee asked firmly. "Really? Who are you?"

Link's eyes narrowed, and his lips curved slightly upwards to form a faint smile. "Who am I?" he asked, dropping his Brooklyn accent. "I'm no different than you, Liam, or anyone else in the ANA. I'm a man on a search for the truth and the never-ending struggle to protect it. There are some things you want to know, and there are some things you need to know."

He stood and started toward the exit.

"I _need_ to know who you are!" Renee cried. "Are you a spy? Have you betrayed us?"

"If I had betrayed you, you'd know it by now," Link said.

"What about Da'an?" Renee asked. "Did she betray us?"

"Absolutely not," Link said firmly. "If you really believed she did, you wouldn't have helped me put Hubble in jail."

"Then, you can at least answer me this," Renee said. "Did Da'an know that Nu'na was going to do this?"

"I don't know that."

"Bullshit you don't. Tell me! Did Da'an know that Nu'na used Hubble as a puppet or didn't she?"

"You'll have to ask Da'an that. I have no idea. I can tell you this, however. Da'an had no idea that Liam would be caught in the crossfire."

"It's all about her now, isn't it? You're protecting her and her stupid agenda that she won't even share with me and Liam, the closest humans left to her, the ones that would die to save her! Like Liam's dying right now!"

"The agenda is for the good of the human species. With Urick gone, you'll know everything you need to know eventually. The agenda must proceed on schedule."

Renee rolled her eyes. "Sure it does. Anything to fight the phantom menace that is the priests."

"Amen," Link played along. "Oh, and Da'an wanted me to tell you. Your kid's gonna be fine. Ten fingers, ten toes—everything in order."

"It was Da'an, wasn't it? She came to see me that night," Renee said, moving her hand down to her lower abdomen. "What's happening to her, Rembrandt…if that is your real name?"

Link shook his head. "You should get some rest. Worry about your son right now. Let us handle the priests."

He started once more for the door, but he stopped. "Oh, and you should tell Liam about the kid. That's from me, not Da'an."

Renee collapsed back on the sofa. The change had come so softly that Renee and Liam had not noticed until it reared its ugly head. Now, they were running to catch up with it. In all possibility, Liam could die because of it. She and the Human Liberation Movement had been preparing for this war since the day the Taelons arrived. When the gauntlets had finally been cast, it had caught them all by surprise. It made Renee feel like a relic and long for the days of old, the days when she had been in control, when she had been directly fighting the guerilla war, even if it turned out to be a worthless one.

_To defeat an enemy to gain another, to fight one war just to get pulled into a bigger one, and it's all in the name of peace and survival, and the never-ending struggle to make sense of it._

Out the window, Renee could see a break forming in the cloudy sky. She took it as God's attempt to comfort her and tell her that she was strong enough to adapt to the change. If so, then she was the exception, not the rule.

* * *

Alex was on his way out of the hospital when Christine caught him at the emergency room entrance.

"How is everyone?" she asked.

"Da'an's okay. I wish I could say the same for Kincaid."

"I've completed my report. Would you like to see it?"

Alex smirked. He had to admit that the thought was tempting, but he knew that no matter what was in that report, his situation would not change. "I guess I still trust you."

Christine smiled and pocketed the disk that contained her final report. "It's too bad you can't tell your friends what you really do at nights."

"I have a feeling that in a few weeks, it won't matter."

"You'd be right. Jonah sends his regards. We're both going to be commended for our performances. He says that even though Hubble's project was commandeered by another terrorist cell, he was the root of it."

"And how does the CIA plan to use him?"

"You think that we wanted him alive?"

"Don't play coy with me. You're no good at it," Alex said with a smirk. "We could've killed him at any moment, particularly me. My job was to build a case against the man so that we could blackmail some knowledge out of him for the greater good."

"Even if that were the case, and I'm not saying it isn't, you know I can't divulge that information," Christine said. "Not until you've been assigned to the case."

"We'll see."

"Indeed we will. You've been re-assigned."

"Somewhere tropical, I hope."

"Keep dreaming. You're going to Moscow, frozen pearl of Mother Russia," she said, offering him an envelope. "Here are the details. You know the drill."

"Destroy it after I read it," Alex recited. "Don't we sing this song every time you offer me a new case."

"Well, you can add this new verse to the repertoire. You're being promoted. You and I are officially partners," Christine said.

Alex laughed. "It'll be just like old times then."

"Looks like it."

Christine stepped closer to Alex and narrowed her eyes. "I just want you to know that…I'm happy for you. I may not understand it, but whatever it is you two have, it's something special…and I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," Alex said. "I just wish that you could meet her."

"No thanks. It's better we don't complicate things by bringing me into the picture."

"We're the job," Alex agreed. "See you around."

"Alex, wait."

He stopped.

"I asked you before what you would do if you failed," Christine said.

"You did ask me that."

"So how are you feeling?"

Alex smiled. "Honestly? I don't consider it anything. Just a prelude to the symphony."

Christine nodded.

"See you around, Christine."

"See you around, Alex."

As Alex journeyed back to his mate and his daughter, the cloud blanket covering the sky broke in half. Amidst the hole in the sky where the moon and stars shown clear, the snow began to fall. However, Alex did not pull his jacket over his head, nor did he button it up to shield himself from the cold. Instead, he pulled off the jacket and exposed his warm Taelon energy to the cold. The hole in the sky where the snow fell seemed to follow Alex all the way to the ANA building.

"It's funny how the weather reflects how you're feeling," Alex told himself.

Clarity was always a gift, but this kind had come with a steep price. Alex wanted to feel ashamed for the circumstances that had brought about this change and the role he had played in it. However, Alex chose to embrace the change. Rather than focusing on the ominous gray surrounding it, Alex focused on the clear, glowing, azure sky and everything that came with it.

The End


End file.
